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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: dip · spell · deal · chip · wake · can · band · snap

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. can — to be able to
  3. band — a music group
  4. spell — letters
  5. snap — to click
  6. can — a tin
  7. chip — to eat
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. band — a ring
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. spell — magic
  12. dip — to sink
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. can — a tin
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. spell — a short time
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. wake — a trail
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. deal — to handle

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