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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 120 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: wake · bound · calf · bat · wind · drill · chip · bear

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bound — obliged
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. drill — a practice
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bat — the animal
  20. drill — the tool
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. drill — army training

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