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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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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: wind · chip · squash · toast · face · temple · pass · drill

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. face — to confront
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. face — part of the head
  5. squash — to crush
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. drill — army training
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wind — moving air
  11. drill — a practice
  12. face — to point toward
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. wind — moving air
  16. drill — the tool
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. toast — bread
  20. pass — a permit
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — to succeed

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