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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. chip — for betting
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. spell — letters
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. snap — to click
  10. bank — for money
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bank — of a river
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bank — for money
  24. stand — for spectators

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