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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. spring — a coil
  11. chip — to eat
  12. season — in sport
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. last — to go on
  15. chip — for betting
  16. spring — the season
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. spring — of water
  20. last — final
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. last — finally
  24. racket — for tennis

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