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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 116 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. band — a ring
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. face — to point toward
  5. land — ground
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. land — to come down
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. face — to confront
  11. dip — to sink
  12. land — a country
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pass — a permit
  17. lean — to bend
  18. face — part of the head
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. band — a music group
  24. dip — a sauce

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