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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. chip — for betting
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bank — for money
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. wake — a trail
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bass — the fish
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bank — of a river
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. wake — before a funeral

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