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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. squash — to crush
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. race — humankind
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. land — a country
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. race — the arms race
  14. land — to come down
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. land — ground
  17. chip — to eat
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. chair — a leader
  21. band — a music group
  22. chip — for betting
  23. race — a contest
  24. band — a ring

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