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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. object — an aim
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. object — to protest
  5. chip — for betting
  6. swing — to play on
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. plane — a tool
  9. swing — music
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. chip — to eat
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. object — a thing
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. stem — to come from
  19. dip — to sink
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. swing — in golf

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