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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: snap · sharp · object · calf · band · content · spell · chip

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. snap — to click
  4. band — a music group
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. object — a thing
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. content — happy
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. chip — to eat
  11. content — the amount
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. object — an aim
  16. spell — letters
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. band — a ring
  19. spell — a short time
  20. object — to protest
  21. spell — magic
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. chip — for betting

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