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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rash · calf · toast · shower · straw · file · chip · last

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. chip — for betting
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. file — a document
  5. last — to go on
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. last — finally
  13. shower — rain
  14. rash — a series
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. rash — hasty
  17. toast — bread
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. last — final
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. chip — to eat
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. straw — dry grass

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