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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 120 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 · rest · chip · rash · snap · cue · chest · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rash — hasty
  7. chip — for betting
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. chest — of your body
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rest — a break
  13. cue — for pool
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — a thing
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rest — what's left
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chest — a box
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rash — a series
  23. snap — to click
  24. cue — a signal

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