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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 120 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. chip — for betting
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. chip — to eat
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. court — of law
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. court — for sport
  12. file — a line of people
  13. present — there
  14. deal — to handle
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to confront
  17. file — a document
  18. drill — the tool
  19. court — of a king
  20. face — to point toward
  21. drill — army training
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. file — a tool
  24. chip — in a computer

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