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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: tear · chip · snap · chair · key · deal

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. deal — to handle
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. tear — to rip
  7. chip — for betting
  8. key — for a lock
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. key — in music
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chip — to eat
  14. tear — from crying
  15. snap — to click
  16. key — the most important part
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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