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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fine — all right
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. can — a tin
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. face — part of the head
  10. can — to be able to
  11. face — to point toward
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rest — what's left
  15. face — to confront
  16. chip — for betting
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. wind — moving air
  21. game — a match
  22. rest — a break
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wind — moving air

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