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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. face — to point toward
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mark — a grade
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. chip — for betting
  9. face — to confront
  10. perch — the fish
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. squash — to crush
  13. branch — a division
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mark — a trace
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. face — part of the head
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — for spectators

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