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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mine — for digging
  4. tear — from crying
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bank — of a river
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — a friend
  24. chip — to eat

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