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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. tube — the underground
  6. clip — for paper
  7. row — a line
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mate — a partner
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. clip — to cut
  13. mate — to breed
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. chip — to eat
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. row — to paddle
  19. clip — a video
  20. mate — a friend
  21. deal — to handle
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. tube — a container

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