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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. chip — for betting
  3. kid — to tease
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. file — a tool
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. file — a document
  11. lean — thin
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bank — of a river
  17. kid — child
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bank — for money
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bank — for money
  23. file — a line of people
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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