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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 120 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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Word bank
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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: net · firm · tear · bore · staff · face · chip · object

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bore — to drill
  4. net — in sport
  5. firm — decided
  6. bore — to tire
  7. face — part of the head
  8. staff — a stick
  9. tear — to rip
  10. chip — to eat
  11. face — to point toward
  12. tear — from crying
  13. firm — steady
  14. staff — employees
  15. object — a thing
  16. tear — from crying
  17. object — an aim
  18. chip — for betting
  19. net — after costs
  20. object — to protest
  21. net — for catching
  22. staff — employees
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. face — to confront

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