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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. lean — thin
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. spring — a coil
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rock — a stone
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. spring — of water
  18. lean — to bend
  19. key — in music
  20. rock — music
  21. spring — the season
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. lean — to rest against

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