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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. land — a country
  3. bear — the animal
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — to point toward
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. can — to be able to
  8. chip — to eat
  9. spell — letters
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. land — to come down
  12. can — a tin
  13. face — part of the head
  14. band — a music group
  15. spell — a short time
  16. band — a ring
  17. spell — magic
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bear — the animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. land — ground
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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