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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. rush — hurry
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. cold — not warm
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cold — an illness
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — decided
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mine — for digging
  21. chip — to eat
  22. file — a document
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. firm — steady

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