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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. present — the time now
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. present — there
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. present — a gift
  24. cabinet — ministers

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