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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: rush · last · jam · squash · bore · face · nail · chip

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. last — final
  4. chip — to eat
  5. squash — the sport
  6. last — to go on
  7. bore — to drill
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. face — part of the head
  11. last — finally
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. chip — for betting
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. squash — to crush
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. face — to confront
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bore — to tire
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. rush — to hurry
  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