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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. chip — for betting
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wake — a trail
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. drill — a practice
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pound — a weight
  22. drill — army training
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — to go away

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