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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: hand · perch · face · degree · cabinet · temple · coach · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. face — to confront
  4. hand — help
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. degree — an amount
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. degree — temperature
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. face — to point toward
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. degree — from a university
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. face — part of the head
  23. perch — the fish
  24. temple — side of the head

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