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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 116 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: chip · vault · dip · face · key · fan · nail · cell

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. face — to confront
  3. dip — to sink
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. face — to point toward
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — a phone
  11. face — part of the head
  12. vault — a safe
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. key — for a lock
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chip — for betting
  22. key — the most important part
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. key — in music

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