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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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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: saw · mine · lean · face · dip · bass · sharp · chip

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. lean — thin
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bass — the fish
  10. sharp — clever
  11. saw — the tool
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. chip — for betting
  14. face — to confront
  15. bass — low music
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lean — to bend
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mine — for digging
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. sharp — with an edge

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