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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. club — a group
  4. hand — help
  5. club — for dancing
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. chip — to eat
  10. club — for golf
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chair — a leader
  14. toast — bread
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. hand — in cards
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pass — a permit
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. pass — to spend time

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