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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: leaves · row · snap · prune · chip · mine · key · bay

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  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. chip — for betting
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. prune — to trim
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. chip — to eat
  16. snap — to click
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mine — for digging
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. key — in music
  23. mine — an explosive
  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