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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: kid · face · cold · calf · leaves · chip · firm · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. face — to point toward
  3. kid — child
  4. firm — decided
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cold — not warm
  9. firm — steady
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. face — part of the head
  13. chip — for betting
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. cold — an illness
  17. chip — to eat
  18. kid — to tease
  19. firm — a company
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. face — to confront

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