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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 124 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: safe · cold · deal · rash · chip · leaves · calf · temple

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cold — not warm
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cold — an illness
  16. chip — for betting
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. temple — side of the head

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