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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cue — a hint
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. chip — for betting
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. spell — magic
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. chip — to eat
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. mine — for digging
  19. wound — an injury
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. season — of the year
  22. spell — letters
  23. wound — an injury
  24. spell — a short time

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