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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. face — to point toward
  3. hand — in cards
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. game — a match
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. hand — help
  12. mug — a cup
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ball — a dance
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. chip — for betting
  17. object — an aim
  18. face — part of the head
  19. game — wild animals
  20. face — to confront
  21. chip — to eat
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a face

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