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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: spell · saw · pop · bank · chip · last · face · content

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bank — of a river
  3. content — the amount
  4. face — to confront
  5. content — happy
  6. chip — for betting
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. spell — letters
  11. face — part of the head
  12. pop — music
  13. saw — the tool
  14. last — finally
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bank — for money
  17. last — final
  18. spell — magic
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bank — for money
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. last — to go on
  23. chip — to eat
  24. saw — the tool

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