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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 116 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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. wound — an injury
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. land — a country
  8. board — a committee
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. land — to come down
  11. deal — to handle
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bark — to shout
  14. chip — for betting
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. wound — an injury
  18. land — ground
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — to get on
  24. deal — a big deal

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