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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: file · mate · tube · rush · bat · firm · chip · snap

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. tube — a container
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. file — a document
  5. snap — to click
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mate — a friend
  9. chip — to eat
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bat — the animal
  15. firm — a company
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. tube — the underground
  19. firm — decided
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. firm — steady
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. rush — a thrill

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