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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. firm — decided
  3. hand — in cards
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. chip — for betting
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hand — help
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. sharp — clever
  17. firm — steady
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. firm — a company
  22. cold — an illness
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. cold — not warm

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