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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. chip — for betting
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bore — to tire
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bank — for money
  10. wake — a trail
  11. squash — to crush
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bank — for money
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. squash — the sport
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bank — of a river
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bore — to drill
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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