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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · chair · nail · rule · straw · chip · cue · tube

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. chair — a leader
  7. cue — a signal
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. cue — a hint
  10. tube — the underground
  11. chip — for betting
  12. tube — a container
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rule — government
  15. cue — for pool
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. mine — for digging
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. rule — a law
  24. straw — dry grass

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