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

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. chip — for betting
  3. snap — to click
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. dip — to sink
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. cap — a lid
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mate — a friend
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. cap — of ice
  17. wind — moving air
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cap — a hat
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. dip — to dunk

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