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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. face — to point toward
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. roll — a cake
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. roll — a list
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bark — to shout
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. snap — to click
  18. rock — a stone
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rock — music
  21. chip — to eat
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. stem — to come from
  24. face — to confront

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