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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. sharp — clever
  4. staff — employees
  5. chip — to eat
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. row — a line
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bulb — for light
  21. staff — employees
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. band — a ring
  24. row — to paddle

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