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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fork — in a road
  4. staff — employees
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. staff — employees
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. spring — of water
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. spring — the season
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. staff — a stick
  20. chip — to eat
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. spring — a coil
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bound — tied together

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