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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bank — for money
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bank — for money
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chip — for betting
  24. snap — to click

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