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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: coach · court · present · lean · face · staff · chip · dip

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. present — a gift
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. lean — thin
  9. face — part of the head
  10. court — of law
  11. present — there
  12. lean — to bend
  13. chip — for betting
  14. face — to point toward
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. present — the time now
  17. staff — a stick
  18. court — of a king
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. face — to confront
  21. court — for sport
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. dip — to sink
  24. staff — employees

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