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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. chip — for betting
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. club — a group
  5. race — the arms race
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. face — to point toward
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bank — for money
  13. spring — the season
  14. bank — of a river
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — for golf
  20. race — a contest
  21. bank — for money
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. race — humankind
  24. spring — of water

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