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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. face — to point toward
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — to tease
  6. spring — the season
  7. face — part of the head
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. chip — to eat
  10. stock — goods
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. chip — for betting
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. stock — shares
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. spring — a coil
  18. kick — in football
  19. pass — a permit
  20. spring — of water
  21. face — to confront
  22. kid — child
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a tree

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