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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: net · pop · chip · trunk · can · saw · snap · roll

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. snap — to click
  3. net — in sport
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pop — to visit
  8. roll — a cake
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. can — a tin
  14. chip — to eat
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. saw — the tool
  17. can — to be able to
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. roll — a list
  22. can — a tin
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. trunk — of a car

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