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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. land — a country
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. land — to come down
  5. wind — moving air
  6. race — the arms race
  7. chip — to eat
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. chip — for betting
  15. race — humankind
  16. mug — a face
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. land — ground
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. race — a contest
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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