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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. land — to come down
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. rest — what's left
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. game — wild animals
  8. face — part of the head
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. chip — for betting
  12. game — a match
  13. face — to confront
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. land — ground
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. suit — to fit
  19. face — to point toward
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. land — a country
  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