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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: chip · face · tear · board · cap · squash · rest · stand

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. cap — of ice
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. face — part of the head
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chip — to eat
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cap — a lid
  10. tear — from crying
  11. face — to confront
  12. squash — to crush
  13. board — to get on
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. board — a committee
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. face — to point toward
  19. cap — a hat
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rest — what's left
  22. squash — the sport
  23. rest — a break
  24. tear — to rip

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