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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. suit — clothes
  4. chip — for betting
  5. fall — the season
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. chip — to eat
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. kid — child
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fall — to drop
  17. craft — a skill
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. kid — to tease
  20. suit — in cards
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bound — obliged

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