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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. row — to paddle
  4. staff — a stick
  5. track — a song
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. chip — to eat
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fine — all right
  11. staff — employees
  12. row — a line
  13. fine — high quality
  14. track — to keep track
  15. chip — for betting
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. track — a path
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. staff — employees

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