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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 120 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: rush · pit · face · dip · foot · chip · wake · cell

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. face — to point toward
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cell — in biology
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pit — a hole
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. cell — a phone
  15. dip — to sink
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. face — to confront
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pit — in a race
  24. face — part of the head

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