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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: calf · chip · snap · nail · bowl · row · bulb · cap

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. row — a line
  4. cap — a lid
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. snap — to click
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. cap — a hat
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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