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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. chip — for betting
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. wind — moving air
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. game — a match
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. object — a thing
  15. chip — to eat
  16. wind — moving air
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. object — to protest
  20. hand — in cards
  21. game — wild animals
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. hand — help

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