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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. tear — from crying
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. field — for sport
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. object — a thing
  11. tear — from crying
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. tear — to rip
  14. ball — a great time
  15. snap — to click
  16. field — a subject
  17. chip — for betting
  18. ball — a dance
  19. object — to protest
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. field — farmland
  23. object — an aim
  24. ball — a round shape

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