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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 116 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: fine · chip · chair · calf · cue · spring · face · mate

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. chip — to eat
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fine — all right
  9. mate — to breed
  10. fine — high quality
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mate — a partner
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chip — for betting
  15. spring — of water
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — a coil
  19. face — to confront
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. face — part of the head
  24. calf — a young animal

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