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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. calf — a young animal

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