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

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chip — for betting
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. drill — a practice
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. drill — the tool
  7. date — the fruit
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. chip — to eat
  13. drill — army training
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. land — ground
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. vault — a safe
  18. land — a country
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. land — to come down
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a cake
  24. date — on the calendar

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