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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pit — a hole
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. craft — boats
  9. chip — for betting
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. craft — a skill
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. field — a subject
  15. wake — a trail
  16. chip — to eat
  17. field — for sport
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. chair — a leader
  21. field — farmland
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pit — in a race
  24. calf — of the leg

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