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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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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: roll · wax · snap · chest · spell · wound · temple · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a list
  5. chest — of your body
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wound — an injury
  10. chip — to eat
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. roll — a cake
  13. wax — to grow
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. chest — a box
  16. spell — magic
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. spell — letters
  19. wound — an injury
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. spell — a short time
  22. snap — to click
  23. chest — of your body
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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