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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: hand · net · lie · chip · bear · rule · face · pass

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rule — government
  5. chip — to eat
  6. hand — help
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. chip — for betting
  15. hand — in cards
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rule — a law
  23. lie — to recline
  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