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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. chip — for betting
  7. band — a music group
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. face — part of the head
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. face — to point toward
  14. charge — a price
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. chip — to eat
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — the time now
  22. band — a ring
  23. present — there
  24. racket — a loud noise

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