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

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. craft — a skill
  5. staff — a stick
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — child
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. chip — to eat
  11. game — wild animals
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rush — hurry
  14. kid — to tease
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rash — a series
  18. staff — employees
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. game — a match
  21. craft — boats
  22. staff — employees
  23. chip — for betting
  24. game — a kind of play

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