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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: cap · snap · chip · bank · bay · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. snap — to click
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. cap — a lid
  8. staff — employees
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bank — for money
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bank — for money
  15. cap — of ice
  16. staff — employees
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. chip — for betting

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