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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: leaves · nail · wind · chip · ruler · pop · mug · last

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. pop — soda
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mug — to rob
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. last — final
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. last — to go on
  12. pop — to visit
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chip — for betting
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — a cup
  20. last — finally
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pop — music
  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