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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. face — to confront
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. face — to point toward
  7. chip — for betting
  8. current — electric
  9. row — a line
  10. swing — music
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. press — a publisher
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. current — of water
  18. press — newspapers
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. press — to push
  21. current — happening now
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. foot — a measure

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