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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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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 · hand · trunk · bore · cold · snap · race · safe

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. cold — not warm
  4. snap — to click
  5. chip — for betting
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. race — a contest
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — in cards
  13. chip — to eat
  14. race — the arms race
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. race — humankind
  21. bore — to tire
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bore — to drill
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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