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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 124 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cue — a signal
  4. chip — for betting
  5. season — of the year
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pop — music
  8. face — to confront
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pop — to visit
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pop — soda
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. season — in sport
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to point toward
  24. chip — to eat

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