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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: toast · face · drill · jam · land · chip · chest · track

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. chip — to eat
  3. track — a path
  4. drill — army training
  5. chest — a box
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. face — to confront
  8. land — a country
  9. track — to keep track
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. track — a song
  18. chest — of your body
  19. land — ground
  20. drill — the tool
  21. chest — of your body
  22. drill — a practice
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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