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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: trunk · rock · nail · ruler · rush · key · hand · chip

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. key — for a lock
  5. rock — music
  6. key — in music
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rock — a stone
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. hand — help
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. chip — for betting
  14. key — the most important part
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. hand — in cards
  18. chip — to eat
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. chip — in a computer

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