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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spell — letters
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rule — a law
  5. spell — a short time
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rule — government
  9. spell — magic
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. field — for sport
  24. arm — a part of something

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