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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: kick · fine · face · bat · staff · roll · chip · sharp

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. face — to point toward
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. kick — in football
  6. bat — the animal
  7. roll — a list
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. chip — to eat
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. sharp — clever
  21. staff — employees
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. fine — high quality
  24. chip — for betting

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