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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 116 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. ground — a position
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rest — a break
  6. ground — crushed
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ground — the earth
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. plane — a tool
  13. chip — for betting
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. chip — to eat
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. net — in sport
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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