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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: chip · snap · suit · present · land · wind · club · bear

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. chip — to eat
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. land — a country
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. wind — moving air
  9. chip — for betting
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wind — moving air
  13. club — a group
  14. present — the time now
  15. land — to come down
  16. club — for golf
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bear — the animal
  20. snap — to click
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. land — ground

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