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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. chip — for betting
  4. mate — to breed
  5. hand — help
  6. fall — to drop
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — decided
  10. hand — in cards
  11. clip — for paper
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. firm — a company
  15. mate — a friend
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fall — to drop
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. clip — a video
  20. fall — the season
  21. clip — to cut
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. chip — to eat
  24. mate — a partner

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