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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · race · face · firm · charge · roll · trunk · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. firm — steady
  3. squash — the sport
  4. roll — a list
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. charge — in control
  7. race — a contest
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. face — to confront
  10. firm — decided
  11. race — humankind
  12. chip — for betting
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. charge — a price
  15. face — part of the head
  16. race — the arms race
  17. roll — a cake
  18. firm — a company
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. squash — to crush
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. face — to point toward
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. charge — electricity

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