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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: wave · rush · face · chip · date · stick · saw · fan

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. chip — to eat
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. date — the fruit
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. face — part of the head
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. face — to confront
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rush — to hurry
  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