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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. key — for a lock
  4. dip — to sink
  5. current — happening now
  6. key — in music
  7. current — electric
  8. face — to confront
  9. prune — to trim
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. fall — to drop
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fall — to drop
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fall — the season
  17. face — to point toward
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. current — of water
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. prune — to trim
  24. chip — to eat

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