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

Word bank: staff · stick · snap · rest · craft · file · chip · rush

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. chip — to eat
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. rest — what's left
  7. snap — to click
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. chip — for betting
  12. file — a tool
  13. craft — a skill
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rest — a break
  20. rush — hurry
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. staff — a stick
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a line of people

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