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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 120 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. chip — for betting
  4. suit — clothes
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rash — hasty
  8. suit — to fit
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rash — a series
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. stock — shares
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. wind — moving air
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bulb — for light
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bulb — for light
  19. face — to confront
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. chip — to eat
  23. face — to point toward
  24. stock — goods

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