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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: nail · firm · chip · deal · staff · arm · rock · tear

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. chip — for betting
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. staff — employees
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. staff — a stick
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rock — a stone
  9. firm — steady
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. tear — from crying
  13. deal — to handle
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. tear — from crying
  16. chip — to eat
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. firm — decided
  20. staff — employees
  21. firm — a company
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. tear — to rip
  24. rock — to move gently

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