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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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Word bank
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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: mine · safe · wake · spring · wind · calf · straw · chip

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. chip — for betting
  5. spring — of water
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. spring — the season
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. spring — a coil
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mine — for digging
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wind — moving air

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