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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. present — a gift
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chest — of your body
  7. can — a tin
  8. firm — steady
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chest — of your body
  11. spring — the season
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. can — to be able to
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. spring — a coil
  19. firm — a company
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. firm — decided
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. spring — of water
  24. mine — for digging

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