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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 124 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · wake · kick · nail · calf · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — a phone
  4. wake — a trail
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. kick — in football
  13. chip — for betting
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cell — in biology
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. nail — on a finger

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