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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. lie — to recline
  3. board — a committee
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. club — a group
  6. face — part of the head
  7. file — a tool
  8. face — to point toward
  9. chip — for betting
  10. board — to get on
  11. scale — size or range
  12. toast — bread
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. face — to confront
  17. file — a line of people
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. scale — in music
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. file — a document

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