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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · rash · bat · saw · clip · stick · rush · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. rush — hurry
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rash — a series
  5. bat — the animal
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chip — to eat
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. clip — to cut
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. saw — the tool
  18. clip — a video
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. chip — for betting
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rash — hasty
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. clip — for paper

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