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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bank — for money
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bank — for money
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a list
  11. chip — for betting
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — for sport
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bank — of a river
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. field — farmland
  18. staff — employees
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. staff — employees
  21. roll — a cake
  22. staff — a stick
  23. chip — to eat
  24. key — in music

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