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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mug — to rob
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. drill — the tool
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rash — a series
  11. face — part of the head
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. mug — a cup
  15. face — to confront
  16. mug — a face
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — army training
  24. rash — hasty

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