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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. land — ground
  4. mug — a face
  5. tear — to rip
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — obliged
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mug — a cup
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mug — to rob
  19. land — a country
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chip — for betting
  23. land — to come down
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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