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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: file · key · chip · face · swing · stand · nail · staff

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. chip — to eat
  3. key — for a lock
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. chip — for betting
  6. face — to confront
  7. swing — in golf
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. file — a document
  10. staff — employees
  11. file — a tool
  12. key — the most important part
  13. staff — employees
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. face — to point toward
  16. swing — to play on
  17. staff — a stick
  18. face — part of the head
  19. file — a line of people
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. swing — music
  22. key — in music
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. nail — on a finger

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