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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. spell — letters
  4. row — to paddle
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. spell — a short time
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. row — a line
  17. rock — a stone
  18. spell — magic
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rock — music
  24. nail — for a hammer

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