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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rest · dip · rush · object · bark · face · court

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. object — an aim
  3. chip — to eat
  4. court — of law
  5. object — to protest
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. face — part of the head
  9. rest — what's left
  10. object — a thing
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. court — for sport
  17. rest — what's left
  18. court — of a king
  19. face — to point toward
  20. rest — a break
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. chip — for betting
  24. dip — to sink

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