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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 124 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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. chip — for betting
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. swing — in golf
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. swing — music
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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