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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 · row · safe · suit · bat · tear · can

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. row — to paddle
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. suit — in cards
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. can — to be able to
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. can — a tin
  16. suit — to fit
  17. can — a tin
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. tear — from crying
  24. suit — clothes

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