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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: cap · snap · wound · chip · land · kick · suit · cue

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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. cue — a signal
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cue — a hint
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. land — ground
  9. cap — a lid
  10. land — to come down
  11. chip — to eat
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. suit — to fit
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cue — for pool
  17. snap — to click
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. chip — for betting
  20. suit — clothes
  21. cap — a hat
  22. land — a country
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. suit — in cards

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