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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. roll — a list
  4. current — of water
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. tear — to rip
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. current — electric
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. tear — from crying
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. current — happening now
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chip — to eat
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. roll — a cake

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