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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ground — the earth
  4. court — for sport
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. court — of a king
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. lean — thin
  14. chip — for betting
  15. court — of law
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. ground — a position
  18. cold — not warm
  19. ground — crushed
  20. chip — to eat
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cold — an illness
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. lean — to bend

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