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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. face — to confront
  5. object — a thing
  6. face — to point toward
  7. object — an aim
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. object — to protest
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. chip — for betting
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. face — part of the head
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. sharp — clever
  22. cap — a lid
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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