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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. swing — in golf
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. last — finally
  5. court — of a king
  6. chip — to eat
  7. last — final
  8. bore — to tire
  9. chip — for betting
  10. court — of law
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. face — to confront
  13. swing — to play on
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. kick — in football
  16. swing — music
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. face — part of the head
  20. last — to go on
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. court — for sport
  24. face — to point toward

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