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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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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: saw · field · rest · leaves · chip · cap · sharp · kick

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. chip — for betting
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. field — farmland
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. field — for sport
  12. chip — to eat
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cap — a hat
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cap — a lid
  18. field — a subject
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. kick — in football
  21. sharp — clever
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. cap — of ice

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