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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: wound · content · rush · chest · row · cap · rock · chip

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. cap — a lid
  4. content — the amount
  5. cap — a hat
  6. chip — for betting
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. chest — a box
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rush — hurry
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rock — music
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. wound — an injury
  22. content — happy
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. chip — to eat

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