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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: snap · saw · chip · cap · stem · ground · stand · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. ________________ 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. file — a line of people
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. file — a tool
  6. snap — to click
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stand — to bear
  12. cap — a hat
  13. file — a document
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. stem — to come from
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ground — the earth
  24. 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