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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rest — what's left
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cap — a hat
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rest — a break
  17. cap — a lid
  18. row — a line
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — child
  21. cap — of ice
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rest — what's left
  24. chip — to eat

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