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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 120 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: chest · bank · bowl · leaves · wake · pop · snap · chip

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chest — a box
  6. bank — for money
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pop — to visit
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bank — of a river
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pop — soda
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bank — for money
  18. chest — of your body
  19. snap — to click
  20. pop — music
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bowl — a dish

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