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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: rush · press · kid · chip · content · deal · saw · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. content — the amount
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. saw — the tool
  7. press — to push
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. press — newspapers
  10. deal — to handle
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. content — happy
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. press — a publisher
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. kid — child
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. craft — a skill
  24. saw — the tool

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