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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: snap · board · chip · kid · fork · mine · saw · calf

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. board — a committee
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. chip — for betting
  10. kid — to tease
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. kid — child
  15. board — to get on
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to click
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. mine — for digging
  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