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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. spring — of water
  7. scale — in music
  8. wake — a trail
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. spring — the season
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — in football
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. spring — a coil
  23. scale — size or range
  24. foot — a measure

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