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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 120 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: mouse · pound · content · straw · face · chip · leaves · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. content — the amount
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. face — part of the head
  8. chip — for betting
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. face — to confront
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. content — happy
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pound — a weight
  24. mouse — the animal

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