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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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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: face · chip · ruler · nail · charge · cell · calf · dip

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. charge — a price
  3. face — to confront
  4. chip — for betting
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cell — in biology
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. cell — a phone
  9. dip — to sink
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. face — part of the head
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. face — to point toward
  24. nail — for a hammer

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