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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chip — to eat
  4. hand — in cards
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. chip — for betting
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. staff — a stick
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. hand — help
  12. staff — employees
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wake — a trail
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. staff — employees

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