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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 · stick · mine · mark · wind · calf · chip · ball

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. chip — to eat
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mark — a grade
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. snap — to click
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mine — for digging
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wind — moving air
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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