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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. face — to confront
  5. field — for sport
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. swing — music
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. field — farmland
  12. face — to point toward
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. swing — to play on
  18. lean — to bend
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bank — for money
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. field — a subject
  24. face — part of the head

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