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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. file — a line of people
  4. chip — for betting
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. file — a document
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. file — a tool
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. chip — to eat
  24. fine — all right

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