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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. chip — for betting
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. board — a committee
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. rash — a series
  9. saw — the tool
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. chip — to eat
  16. board — to get on
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. fall — the season
  24. rash — hasty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com