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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. chip — for betting
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — the animal
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stock — shares
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. stock — goods
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bore — to tire
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wake — a trail

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