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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. hand — help
  6. kid — to tease
  7. hand — in cards
  8. kid — child
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chip — to eat
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. spring — a coil
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. present — the time now
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. present — a gift
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chip — for betting
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — the season
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. present — there
  24. chair — to sit on

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