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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: pitcher · face · arm · calf · present · chip · rule · lean

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rule — government
  5. lean — to bend
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. lean — thin
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rule — a law
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. present — there
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. face — to point toward
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rule — to rule out

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