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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. press — to push
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. fork — in a road
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. kick — in football
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. chip — to eat
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. hand — in cards
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. press — a publisher
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. hand — help

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