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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. face — to point toward
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tear — to rip
  8. squash — the sport
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. tube — a container
  12. tear — from crying
  13. face — part of the head
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. rash — hasty
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rash — a series
  18. squash — to crush
  19. face — to confront
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tear — from crying
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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