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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: face · calf · arm · rash · chip · season · deal · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — part of the head
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chip — to eat
  8. key — the most important part
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. chip — for betting
  11. key — in music
  12. rash — a series
  13. season — of the year
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. face — to confront
  17. rash — hasty
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. season — in sport
  24. deal — an agreement

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