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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: tube · calf · cue · snap · chip · charge · root · tear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. charge — in control
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. snap — to click
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. tube — a container
  8. charge — a price
  9. chip — for betting
  10. charge — electricity
  11. root — of a plant
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. root — of a word
  15. tear — from crying
  16. root — the cause
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. chip — to eat
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tube — the underground

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