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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: snap · row · content · lie · rash · bay · pound · chip

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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. row — a line
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. row — to paddle
  6. snap — to click
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rash — a series
  11. chip — for betting
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. content — happy
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. content — the amount
  21. pound — a weight
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — to eat

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