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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bore — to tire
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. game — a match
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. game — wild animals
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stem — to come from
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. snap — to click
  24. calf — of the leg

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