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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. chip — to eat
  8. game — a match
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. face — part of the head
  12. spell — magic
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. present — a gift
  17. game — wild animals
  18. present — the time now
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. present — there
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. face — to confront
  23. firm — steady
  24. cabinet — ministers

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