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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. file — a document
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rule — government
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. object — a thing
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. ground — crushed
  13. spell — a short time
  14. ground — the earth
  15. object — an aim
  16. spell — magic
  17. rule — a law
  18. object — to protest
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wind — moving air
  21. chip — for betting
  22. file — a tool
  23. wind — moving air
  24. ground — a position

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