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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. chip — for betting
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. land — a country
  9. cold — an illness
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. cold — not warm
  15. land — to come down
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. lie — to recline
  18. stock — shares
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stock — goods
  23. land — ground
  24. lie — an untruth

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