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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. mine — for digging
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. chip — to eat
  15. squash — to crush
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. chair — a leader
  18. squash — the sport
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. lean — thin
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. mine — belonging to me

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