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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. stand — to bear
  7. foot — a measure
  8. race — humankind
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. shower — rain
  17. race — the arms race
  18. capital — a city
  19. race — a contest
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. chip — to eat
  22. shower — to wash
  23. capital — money
  24. chip — for betting

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