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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. wake — a trail
  7. spell — magic
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. spell — letters
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. spell — a short time
  12. chair — a leader
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chip — for betting
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. chip — to eat
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — in a race

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