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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 116 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  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. rash — a series
  2. net — in sport
  3. chip — to eat
  4. net — after costs
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. net — for catching
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rash — hasty
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  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