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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 116 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. object — a thing
  3. prune — to trim
  4. chip — for betting
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — to point toward
  7. chip — to eat
  8. face — part of the head
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stock — shares
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lie — to recline
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stock — goods
  20. mine — for digging
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — an aim
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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