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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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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 · calf · dip · pop · board · chip · fan · shower

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pop — music
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. snap — to click
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. shower — to wash
  8. board — to get on
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — to visit
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. shower — rain
  14. board — a committee
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. chip — to eat
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. chip — for betting
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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