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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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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: chip · bore · lean · file · dip · rush · prune · calf

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bore — to drill
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chip — for betting
  7. lean — to bend
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. chip — to eat
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. file — a tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. lean — thin
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. rush — hurry
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a document
  24. chip — in a computer

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