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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: bay · bear · snap · fall · ruler · chip

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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. fall — the season
  3. chip — to eat
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. snap — to click
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chip — for betting
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bay — a part of the sea

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