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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. club — for golf
  4. row — a line
  5. fork — in a road
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. can — to be able to
  9. chip — for betting
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. chip — to eat
  13. club — for dancing
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. can — a tin
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — a cup
  18. can — a tin
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. lie — to recline
  22. club — a group
  23. mug — to rob
  24. chip — in a computer

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