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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. row — a line
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bank — for money
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bank — for money
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bank — of a river
  21. row — to paddle
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mate — a friend

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