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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: chip · snap · stock · rest · squash · plane · mate · bound

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. squash — to crush
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. plane — a tool
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rest — what's left
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stock — goods
  13. mate — a friend
  14. chip — for betting
  15. snap — to click
  16. bound — certain
  17. rest — a break
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bound — tied together
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. rest — what's left

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