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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 · chip · toast · wind · bowl · bound · can · stand

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bound — certain
  3. chip — for betting
  4. can — to be able to
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. can — a tin
  7. chip — to eat
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bound — tied together
  12. can — a tin
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bound — obliged
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. snap — to click
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. toast — bread
  24. bowl — a football final

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