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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: snap · stem · chip · track · cold · coach · bank · toast

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. toast — bread
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. track — a path
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. cold — not warm
  12. snap — to click
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bank — of a river
  15. chip — to eat
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. track — a song
  20. cold — an illness
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. stem — to come from

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