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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. object — to protest
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. prune — to trim
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — a video
  8. chip — to eat
  9. race — humankind
  10. object — a thing
  11. race — the arms race
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. chip — for betting
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. clip — to cut
  21. race — a contest
  22. object — an aim
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. hide — to keep secret

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