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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: straw · craft · spring · snap · current · calf · bank · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. current — electric
  3. bank — of a river
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. snap — to click
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bank — for money
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. chip — to eat
  13. craft — a skill
  14. spring — the season
  15. craft — boats
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. current — of water
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. current — happening now
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bank — for money
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. straw — a straw man

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