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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rush — hurry
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — a thing
  9. chip — to eat
  10. object — an aim
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. craft — a skill
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. file — a line of people
  22. craft — boats
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. saw — the 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