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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. kid — to tease
  5. tube — a container
  6. face — to confront
  7. bound — obliged
  8. tube — the underground
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. scale — in music
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. face — to point toward
  15. scale — size or range
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bound — tied together
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cue — a signal
  21. chip — for betting
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bound — certain
  24. kid — child

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