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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: deal · rest · chip · kid · tube · sharp · bore · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — finally
  3. tube — a container
  4. last — to go on
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. sharp — clever
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. chip — to eat
  9. tube — the underground
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — to tease
  18. rest — a break
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. chip — for betting
  21. rest — what's left
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — to drill

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