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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cell — in biology
  6. chip — for betting
  7. saw — the tool
  8. face — part of the head
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. row — a line
  11. row — to paddle
  12. swing — in golf
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. chip — to eat
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. face — to confront
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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