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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. fine — high quality
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. chip — to eat
  8. drill — the tool
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bat — the animal
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. drill — a practice
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fine — all right
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. drill — army training
  18. calf — a young 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