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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pop — to visit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. sharp — clever
  7. date — the fruit
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. fine — high quality
  11. chip — for betting
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. fine — all right
  14. chip — to eat
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pop — music
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pop — soda
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. fine — a penalty

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