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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mark — a trace
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bear — the animal
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. spell — a short time
  11. shower — rain
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bear — the animal
  15. shower — to wash
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — letters

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