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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. game — a match
  4. chip — for betting
  5. root — of a word
  6. face — to confront
  7. lie — to recline
  8. game — wild animals
  9. current — happening now
  10. face — to point toward
  11. lean — thin
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. face — part of the head
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. current — of water
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. current — electric
  22. root — of a plant
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. root — the cause

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