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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: band · drill · snap · bay · chip · calf · charge · tear

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. drill — the tool
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. chip — for betting
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. snap — to click
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. band — a ring
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. tear — from crying
  16. drill — a practice
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. drill — army training
  19. charge — a price
  20. chip — to eat
  21. band — a music group
  22. charge — in control
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. charge — electricity

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