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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 120 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — child
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rule — a law
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. spell — letters
  13. rest — a break
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. spell — a short time
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. chip — to eat
  23. spell — magic
  24. rule — government

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