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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: face · chip · fall · stem · arm · drill · spell · roll

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. drill — army training
  3. face — to confront
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. chip — for betting
  6. drill — a practice
  7. roll — a list
  8. face — part of the head
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fall — the season
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. spell — letters
  20. roll — a cake
  21. stem — to come from
  22. drill — the tool
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. chip — to eat

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