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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.

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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: bank · kick · bark · staff · snap · dip · track · chip

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. dip — to sink
  6. snap — to click
  7. kick — in football
  8. staff — employees
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. track — a path
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bark — to shout
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. track — a song
  16. chip — for betting
  17. staff — employees
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bank — of a river
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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