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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 120 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. present — the time now
  4. kid — to tease
  5. chip — for betting
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. kid — child
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wound — an injury
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. chip — to eat
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. craft — boats
  14. wound — an injury
  15. shower — rain
  16. craft — a skill
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. shower — to wash
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. present — a gift
  22. court — of law
  23. present — there
  24. calf — a young animal

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