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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: chip · rest · ruler · bound · kid · foot · file · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rest — what's left
  3. chip — for betting
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. chip — to eat
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. file — a document
  10. kid — to tease
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bound — obliged
  13. foot — a measure
  14. rest — what's left
  15. file — a tool
  16. rest — a break
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. file — a line of people
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — child
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — for pool

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