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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mark — a trace
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. lean — to bend
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — the sport
  14. lean — thin
  15. chip — for betting
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. squash — to crush
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. chip — to eat
  24. wound — an injury

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