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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ground — the earth
  3. drill — a practice
  4. chip — for betting
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. court — for sport
  8. drill — the tool
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. cue — a signal
  11. file — a document
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cue — for pool
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. file — a tool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. court — of a king
  19. file — a line of people
  20. chip — to eat
  21. ground — a position
  22. court — of law
  23. drill — army training
  24. lie — to recline

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