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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: face · chest · deal · lie · jam · present · chip · wake

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. chest — of your body
  5. wake — a trail
  6. face — to point toward
  7. present — a gift
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. deal — to handle
  11. present — there
  12. lie — to recline
  13. present — the time now
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. chest — a box
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. face — to confront
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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