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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: cabinet · face · coach · cell · calf · sharp · file · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cell — a phone
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. game — a match
  8. sharp — clever
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cell — in biology
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. game — wild animals
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. file — a document
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. face — part of the head
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. sharp — with an edge

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