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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. chip — for betting
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. roll — a cake
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. squash — the sport
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chip — to eat
  15. roll — a list
  16. squash — to crush
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer

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