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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 116 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: court · snap · lean · can · chip · face · file · staff

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — thin
  3. staff — employees
  4. court — of a king
  5. can — a tin
  6. face — to point toward
  7. can — a tin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. face — part of the head
  10. file — a tool
  11. court — for sport
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. face — to confront
  14. snap — to click
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a line of people
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. chip — to eat
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. court — of law
  22. can — to be able to
  23. chip — for betting
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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