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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: rock · chip · hand · drill · kick · face · cabinet · scale

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chip — for betting
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. face — to point toward
  9. hand — help
  10. kick — in football
  11. rock — music
  12. scale — in music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. face — to confront
  18. drill — army training
  19. scale — size or range
  20. face — part of the head
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. drill — a practice
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. drill — the tool

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