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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. face — part of the head
  3. spell — letters
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. face — to point toward
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. face — to confront
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. object — an aim
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. object — a thing
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. pass — a permit
  22. fine — all right
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. object — to protest

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