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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. band — a music group
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. present — the time now
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. present — a gift
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. chip — to eat
  16. key — for a lock
  17. snap — to click
  18. band — a ring
  19. stem — to come from
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. calf — of the leg

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