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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chip — to eat
  3. roll — a cake
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. face — to point toward
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mark — a trace
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mark — a grade
  12. chip — for betting
  13. rest — what's left
  14. face — to confront
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. face — part of the head
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. rest — a break
  24. roll — a list

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