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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 116 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. spell — letters
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bulb — for light
  16. net — for catching
  17. spell — magic
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. snap — to click
  22. face — to point toward
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. spell — a short time

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