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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. drill — the tool
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. snap — to click
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. present — a gift
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. drill — a practice
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. present — the time now
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. drill — army training
  17. present — there
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. chip — for betting
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. chip — to eat

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