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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 · roll · charge · jam · stick · face · file · foot

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. roll — a cake
  4. foot — a measure
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. roll — a list
  8. face — to confront
  9. chip — to eat
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. chip — for betting
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — electricity
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. file — a tool
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. face — part of the head
  22. file — a line of people
  23. charge — a price
  24. file — a document

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