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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 116 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 · race · mate · lean · mine · fan · snap · calf

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. race — the arms race
  3. snap — to click
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mate — a friend
  7. lean — to bend
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. race — a contest
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — to eat
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. lean — thin
  19. mine — for digging
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. race — humankind

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