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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. firm — steady
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. chip — for betting
  6. firm — decided
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. chip — to eat
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. can — to be able to
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. ground — the earth
  16. firm — a company
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. can — a tin
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. can — a tin
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. date — the fruit

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