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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 · spell · mark · chip · fan · drill · bound · chair

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — part of the head
  3. drill — a practice
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. spell — letters
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. chip — to eat
  11. drill — army training
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. drill — the tool
  14. face — to point toward
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. mark — a grade
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chair — a leader
  20. spell — magic
  21. mark — a trace
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bound — obliged

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