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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: chip · bore · track · face · mine · fan · hand · mark

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — for betting
  3. face — to confront
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bore — to drill
  6. hand — in cards
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. track — a path
  15. hand — help
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. track — to keep track
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. track — a song
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. hand — part of the body

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