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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. spell — letters
  7. mate — a friend
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. deal — to handle
  10. swing — music
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mate — to breed
  14. chip — for betting
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. spell — magic
  17. bound — obliged
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bound — certain
  23. mate — a partner
  24. sharp — clever

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