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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: chip · chair · present · wave · pop · face · cabinet · track

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. chip — to eat
  6. present — the time now
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. track — a song
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — music
  11. chair — a leader
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pop — soda
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. track — a path
  20. face — to point toward
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. cabinet — ministers

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