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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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Word bank
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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: snap · cue · nail · bound · lean · lie · squash · chip

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. squash — the sport
  3. cue — a hint
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. cue — a signal
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bound — certain
  9. squash — to crush
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. cue — for pool
  14. lean — to bend
  15. chip — for betting
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bound — obliged
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bound — tied together
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. snap — to click

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