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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: snap · calf · wave · prune · bear · saw · content · chip

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. chip — to eat
  4. content — happy
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. prune — to trim
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bear — the animal
  20. content — the amount
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. calf — a young animal

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