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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: swing · chip · face · board · can · rule · stem · spell

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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. can — a tin
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. stem — to come from
  5. chip — to eat
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. swing — to play on
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. swing — music
  11. rule — a law
  12. spell — magic
  13. face — to point toward
  14. can — a tin
  15. face — to confront
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rule — government
  20. face — part of the head
  21. chip — for betting
  22. swing — in golf
  23. spell — letters
  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