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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 124 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. fall — to drop
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a cake
  5. firm — decided
  6. fall — to drop
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. roll — a list
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. face — to confront
  13. fall — the season
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. tube — a container
  16. chip — for betting
  17. face — to point toward
  18. chip — to eat
  19. firm — steady
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. firm — a company
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. lean — to bend

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