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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: chest · deal · rush · craft · pass · chip · kick · prune

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. chest — a box
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. prune — to trim
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. chest — of your body
  13. craft — a skill
  14. kick — in football
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chest — of your body
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. craft — boats

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