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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. face — part of the head
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. charge — electricity
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bark — to shout
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. face — to point toward
  11. deal — to handle
  12. mug — to rob
  13. charge — in control
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. board — to get on
  16. mug — a cup
  17. face — to confront
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. charge — a price
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mug — a face
  24. board — a committee

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