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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: calf · deal · pop · rush · wind · wake · stick · chip

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rush — hurry
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pop — soda
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pop — to visit
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pop — music
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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