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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bay · game · nail · face · chip · rash · ground · row

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. chip — for betting
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. rash — hasty
  6. game — a match
  7. row — a line
  8. row — to paddle
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ground — the earth
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. face — to confront
  15. rash — a series
  16. chip — to eat
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. ground — crushed
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. ground — a position

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