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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: fan · chip · saw · cap · snap · craft · chair · bound

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cap — a lid
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cap — a hat
  9. chair — a leader
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cap — of ice
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. snap — to click
  24. craft — boats

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