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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 124 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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. suit — clothes
  3. clip — for paper
  4. chip — to eat
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. deal — to handle
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. suit — in cards
  9. clip — to cut
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. clip — a video
  12. toast — bread
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. face — part of the head
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rule — government
  19. chip — for betting
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. suit — to fit
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — a law

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