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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. cue — a hint
  3. chip — for betting
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bass — the fish
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. bound — obliged
  12. face — part of the head
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. cue — a signal
  15. chest — a box
  16. cue — for pool
  17. chip — to eat
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. kick — in football
  21. bass — low music
  22. bound — certain
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bass — the instrument

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