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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cold — not warm
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. kick — in football
  14. chair — a leader
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. cold — an illness
  20. chip — for betting
  21. fall — to drop
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fall — the season

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