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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 116 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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. object — an aim
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. file — a line of people
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. file — a document
  15. chip — to eat
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. object — a thing
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. object — to protest
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bowl — a dish

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