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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. face — to confront
  9. tube — a container
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. chip — for betting
  13. dip — to sink
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. tube — the underground
  20. mark — a grade
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cell — a phone
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — part of the head

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