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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bat — the animal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. craft — boats
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. chip — to eat
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. craft — a skill
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — in an idiom

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