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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. staff — employees
  4. track — a song
  5. face — part of the head
  6. track — a path
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fine — high quality
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. chip — to eat
  13. fall — to drop
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. fine — all right
  16. face — to point toward
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. staff — a stick
  21. track — to keep track
  22. face — to confront
  23. staff — employees
  24. saw — the tool

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