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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
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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: hand · chip · dip · fan · face · rash · bass · spell

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. chip — for betting
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. spell — a short time
  8. dip — to sink
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. face — to point toward
  12. spell — magic
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. rash — a series
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. rash — hasty
  19. face — to confront
  20. hand — help
  21. spell — letters
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bass — the instrument

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