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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rock — a stone
  4. face — to point toward
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. file — a tool
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chest — of your body
  9. squash — the sport
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — part of the head
  13. squash — to crush
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. file — a line of people
  17. lean — thin
  18. chest — a box
  19. lean — to bend
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rock — music
  23. file — a document
  24. squash — the vegetable

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