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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ball — a dance
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. ball — a great time
  9. chip — to eat
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. toast — bread
  12. mark — a grade
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bat — the animal
  18. chip — for betting
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. face — to point toward
  21. roll — a cake
  22. face — to confront
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. roll — a list

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