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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 · snap · file · chip · can · bear · tube · chair

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. land — to come down
  3. file — a document
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. tube — the underground
  6. can — a tin
  7. file — a tool
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bear — the animal
  14. tube — a container
  15. land — a country
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chip — for betting
  18. land — ground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chair — a leader
  22. snap — to click
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. chair — a professorship

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