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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mine — for digging
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rash — a series
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chip — for betting
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. chip — to eat
  19. pass — a permit
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. saw — the tool
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. rash — hasty

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