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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. face — to confront
  4. cap — of ice
  5. roll — a cake
  6. cap — a lid
  7. chest — a box
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chip — for betting
  11. face — part of the head
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. track — a song
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. track — a path
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chip — to eat
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. track — to keep track
  20. face — to point toward
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cap — a hat

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