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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. chip — to eat
  3. content — the amount
  4. cold — an illness
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. face — to point toward
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. content — happy
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. face — to confront
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. face — part of the head
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. chip — for betting

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