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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.

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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: track · stem · snap · bear · object · file · bound · chip

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. track — a song
  3. bound — tied together
  4. object — an aim
  5. track — a path
  6. bound — certain
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chip — to eat
  10. object — a thing
  11. snap — to click
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. file — a line of people
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chip — for betting
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a tool
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. track — to keep track
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. chip — in a computer

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