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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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Word bank
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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: pop · lean · field · calf · chip · straw · ball · lie

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lean — thin
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. field — farmland
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. lie — to recline
  9. field — for sport
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. field — a subject
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pop — soda
  24. chip — to eat

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