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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: rush · rest · saw · snap · chip · sharp · foot · lean

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chip — to eat
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. lean — to bend
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rush — hurry
  22. chip — for betting
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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