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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mine — for digging
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rock — music
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. net — in sport
  19. chip — for betting
  20. tear — to rip
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — 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