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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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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: ground · chip · cue · face · bore · bank · bay · rock

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. cue — a hint
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bore — to drill
  5. cue — a signal
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bank — for money
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. chip — for betting
  17. ground — the earth
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bank — for money
  20. ground — crushed
  21. face — to confront
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. chip — in a computer

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