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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. face — to point toward
  3. plane — a tool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pit — a hole
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pit — in a race
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cue — for pool
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — farmland
  20. cue — a hint
  21. field — for sport
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to confront
  24. ruler — for measuring

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