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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: chip · root · kid · nail · saw · rush · ball · last

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — finally
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. root — of a word
  10. ball — a dance
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. chip — for betting
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. root — of a plant
  15. last — final
  16. kid — child
  17. ball — a great time
  18. kid — to tease
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. root — the cause
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rush — hurry

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