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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: board · rash · dip · chip · mate · pass · chest · face

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. face — to point toward
  4. chip — for betting
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to sink
  7. face — part of the head
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chest — a box
  10. face — to confront
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. board — to get on
  15. mate — to breed
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. board — a committee
  24. pass — a permit

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