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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: wake · chip · bear · ruler · straw · snap · leaves · hand

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bear — the animal
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chip — for betting
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wake — a trail
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hand — help
  16. bear — the animal
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. snap — to click
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. hand — 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