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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bat — the animal
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. spell — letters
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. spell — a short time
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. fork — in a road
  22. spell — magic
  23. ball — a great time
  24. calf — of the leg

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