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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. file — a document
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wake — a trail
  20. rush — hurry
  21. mine — for digging
  22. cue — a signal
  23. chip — for betting
  24. file — a tool

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