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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. land — ground
  4. chip — to eat
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. land — a country
  13. bore — to drill
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. chip — for betting
  17. snap — to click
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. land — to come down

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