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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.

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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: leaves · toast · face · clip · chip · swing · nail · calf

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. swing — to play on
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. face — to point toward
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. clip — a video
  12. chip — for betting
  13. clip — for paper
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. face — part of the head
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. swing — music
  19. face — to confront
  20. chip — to eat
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. swing — in golf
  23. clip — to cut
  24. toast — bread

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