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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. clip — for paper
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lean — thin
  10. clip — a video
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rock — music
  13. rash — a series
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rash — hasty
  16. ground — a position
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. clip — to cut
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. chip — to eat
  24. ground — the earth

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