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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: snap · tube · stick · wound · rush · wax · calf · chip

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. chip — for betting
  4. tube — a container
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. tube — the underground
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rush — hurry
  17. wound — an injury
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to click
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — in the ear

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