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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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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: chip · nail · rash · key · sharp · bore · staff · face

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. key — in music
  3. bore — to tire
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. chip — for betting
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rash — a series
  8. staff — employees
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. face — part of the head
  14. key — for a lock
  15. chip — to eat
  16. staff — a stick
  17. face — to confront
  18. key — the most important part
  19. staff — employees
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to drill
  23. sharp — clever
  24. face — to point toward

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