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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. saw — the tool
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. object — a thing
  8. rush — hurry
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. object — to protest
  15. chip — to eat
  16. squash — the sport
  17. object — an aim
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rush — to hurry

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