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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: game · nail · safe · mug · foot · tube · chip · snap

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mug — a face
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. foot — a measure
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. game — wild animals
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. chip — for betting
  14. tube — a container
  15. mug — a cup
  16. tube — the underground
  17. snap — to click
  18. mug — to rob
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — a match
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. nail — on a finger

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