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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rash — hasty
  3. hand — in cards
  4. march — the month
  5. object — a thing
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. object — to protest
  12. rash — a series
  13. march — music
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. chip — for betting
  16. hand — help
  17. object — an aim
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — part of the head
  21. chip — to eat
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. face — to point toward
  24. hand — part of the body

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