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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. face — to confront
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. game — a match
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mark — a trace
  7. chip — for betting
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. face — to point toward
  10. key — in music
  11. season — in sport
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. key — for a lock
  15. face — part of the head
  16. snap — to click
  17. game — wild animals
  18. season — of the year
  19. mark — a grade
  20. key — the most important part
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. game — a kind of play

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