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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: can · chip · row · bear · face · jam · tube · hand

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. tube — a container
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bear — the animal
  8. row — a line
  9. tube — the underground
  10. hand — help
  11. can — a tin
  12. chip — for betting
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. can — to be able to
  15. face — to confront
  16. chip — to eat
  17. face — to point toward
  18. can — a tin
  19. row — to paddle
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bear — the animal
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. chip — in a computer

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