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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. kid — child
  3. plane — a tool
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. ground — the earth
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. face — to point toward
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. roll — a list
  14. ground — crushed
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. kid — to tease
  18. roll — a cake
  19. deal — to handle
  20. ground — a position
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. face — part of the head
  24. chip — for betting

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