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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. deal — to handle
  4. track — a song
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. fall — the season
  7. track — to keep track
  8. saw — the tool
  9. spring — the season
  10. chip — for betting
  11. fall — to drop
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. face — to confront
  15. spring — of water
  16. fall — to drop
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. track — a path
  19. face — to point toward
  20. chip — to eat
  21. saw — the tool
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. spring — a coil

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