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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 116 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. hand — help
  8. chip — to eat
  9. game — wild animals
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. drill — a practice
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hand — in cards
  15. drill — army training
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wax — to grow
  18. drill — the tool
  19. ball — a great time
  20. game — a match
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. hand — part of the body

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