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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: kid · wind · chip · ruler · date · rest · safe · current

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. date — the fruit
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. current — electric
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. current — of water
  12. rest — what's left
  13. kid — child
  14. wind — moving air
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. current — happening now
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — to tease
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. safe — out of danger

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