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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 · kick · chip · swing · coach · mine · leaves · mug

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. swing — in golf
  3. kick — in football
  4. chip — to eat
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. face — part of the head
  7. swing — music
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. chip — for betting
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mug — a cup
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. swing — to play on
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. mug — to rob
  19. face — to confront
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mug — a face
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. mine — for digging

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