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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 116 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. The water is too ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. cold — not warm
  3. chip — to eat
  4. board — a committee
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. board — to get on
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bound — obliged
  11. lean — to bend
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. face — to point toward
  15. lean — thin
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cold — an illness
  18. face — to confront
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bound — tied together
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bound — certain
  24. face — part of the head

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