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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: land · bowl · snap · chip · pass · mate · staff · lie

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. land — a country
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. staff — employees
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. mate — to breed
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. land — ground
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. lie — to recline
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. staff — employees
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. mate — a friend
  21. snap — to click
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mate — a partner

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