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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chair — a leader
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. face — part of the head
  7. field — farmland
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. track — a path
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. track — a song
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. field — for sport
  17. face — to point toward
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. field — a subject
  20. chip — to eat
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. face — to confront
  24. track — to keep track

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