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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: chest · key · calf · present · land · squash · chip · dip

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. squash — the sport
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. chest — a box
  9. chip — to eat
  10. land — ground
  11. present — there
  12. present — a gift
  13. chest — of your body
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. land — to come down
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. key — the most important part
  18. chest — of your body
  19. key — for a lock
  20. chip — for betting
  21. land — a country
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. present — the time now
  24. key — in music

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