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

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bore — to tire
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. branch — a division
  6. track — a path
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. craft — boats
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. kick — in football
  21. craft — a skill
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. snap — to click
  24. track — to keep track

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