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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. roll — a cake
  3. chip — for betting
  4. face — part of the head
  5. root — of a word
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. root — the cause
  13. pound — a weight
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. chest — a box
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. chip — to eat
  18. face — to confront
  19. chest — of your body
  20. root — of a plant
  21. plane — a tool
  22. roll — a list
  23. face — to point toward
  24. chest — of your body

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