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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 120 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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. squash — the sport
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. current — happening now
  5. craft — boats
  6. squash — to crush
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. staff — employees
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chip — for betting
  11. craft — a skill
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. band — a ring
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. saw — the tool
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. current — electric
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. current — of water
  24. band — a music group

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