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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — a group
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. club — for golf
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. spring — a coil
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. lean — to bend
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lean — thin
  23. spring — the season
  24. wound — an injury

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