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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. tear — from crying
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. tear — to rip
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chip — for betting
  14. net — after costs
  15. tear — from crying
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bat — the animal

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