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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. firm — decided
  4. land — to come down
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. firm — a company
  8. land — a country
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. fall — to drop
  15. firm — steady
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. land — ground
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cold — not warm
  20. fall — the season
  21. chip — for betting
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. arm — part of the body

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