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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. face — part of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. face — to point toward
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. prune — to trim
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rash — a series
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cold — an illness
  12. chip — to eat
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. prune — to trim
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. squash — the sport
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. cold — not warm
  22. squash — to crush
  23. chip — for betting
  24. rash — hasty

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