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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rest — a break
  3. game — wild animals
  4. face — part of the head
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rest — what's left
  11. chip — for betting
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stand — to bear
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a tool
  16. face — to confront
  17. game — a match
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. file — a document
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. can — a tin

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