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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: snap · lie · file · rash · bound · racket · bear · chip

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. snap — to click
  3. file — a tool
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. file — a line of people
  9. chip — to eat
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rash — a series
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rash — hasty
  20. file — a document
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bound — certain
  23. racket — for tennis
  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