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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. mate — to breed
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. rest — a break
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chip — for betting
  8. capital — a city
  9. rest — what's left
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. mate — a partner
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. capital — money
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rest — what's left
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. scale — in music
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mate — a friend
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. scale — size or range

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