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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. hand — in cards
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. chip — for betting
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. ground — crushed
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hand — help
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. ground — the earth
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bat — the animal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. ground — a position

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