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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. chip — to eat
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. chip — for betting
  11. ball — a great time
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. shower — rain
  19. ball — a dance
  20. rest — a break
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. snap — to click
  24. chip — in a computer

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