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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: suit · board · cold · face · key · chip · press · mine

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. chip — for betting
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. mine — for digging
  8. press — a publisher
  9. face — to point toward
  10. board — to get on
  11. face — to confront
  12. chip — to eat
  13. suit — clothes
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. cold — not warm
  16. press — to push
  17. press — newspapers
  18. suit — to fit
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. suit — in cards
  21. face — part of the head
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. board — a committee
  24. mine — an explosive

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