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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: bound · chip · last · plane · shower · charge · snap · calf

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. snap — to click
  5. shower — rain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. shower — to wash
  9. charge — electricity
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bound — certain
  13. charge — a price
  14. plane — a tool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. charge — in control
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chip — to eat
  21. last — final
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. last — finally
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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