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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: face · sharp · roll · staff · coach · chip · spring · key

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. spring — a coil
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. staff — a stick
  8. face — part of the head
  9. spring — the season
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. spring — of water
  13. staff — employees
  14. key — for a lock
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — a list
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. sharp — clever
  20. face — to point toward
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. face — to confront

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