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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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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: face · court · fork · wind · fine · chip · tear · saw

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wind — moving air
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. chip — for betting
  13. fine — high quality
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. fine — all right
  16. saw — the tool
  17. court — of a king
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. court — for sport
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. court — of law
  24. tear — from crying

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