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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 108 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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bore — to drill
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. pop — music
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bore — to tire
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pop — soda
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pop — to visit
  16. snap — to click
  17. mug — a cup
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. land — a country
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. mug — a face
  24. tear — to rip

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