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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — final
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. staff — employees
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. fall — the season
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. fall — to drop
  12. chip — for betting
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. last — finally
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. staff — a stick
  21. chip — to eat
  22. deal — to handle
  23. fall — to drop
  24. staff — employees

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