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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. branch — a division
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. lean — to bend
  6. ground — a position
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. shower — rain
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lean — thin
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. chip — for betting
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. shower — to wash
  24. chip — to eat

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