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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. chip — for betting
  3. present — there
  4. chip — to eat
  5. present — the time now
  6. degree — temperature
  7. hand — help
  8. ground — crushed
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. ground — a position
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rest — what's left
  15. degree — an amount
  16. present — a gift
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. ground — the earth
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rest — a break
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lash — to lash out

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