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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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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: foot · mine · hide · chip · rest · board · bank · face

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rest — what's left
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — a measure
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bank — for money
  9. chip — to eat
  10. face — to confront
  11. bank — for money
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mine — for digging
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. chip — for betting
  22. board — to get on
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. face — to point toward

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