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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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 — in a computer
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. file — a document
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chip — for betting
  6. object — an aim
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. chip — to eat
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — part of the head
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. file — a tool
  15. snap — to click
  16. file — a line of people
  17. object — a thing
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. object — to protest
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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