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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rash — hasty
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. mate — to breed
  7. chip — for betting
  8. land — ground
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rash — a series
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. land — a country
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. land — to come down
  23. chip — to eat
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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