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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. rest — a break
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. chip — for betting
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spell — magic
  11. chip — to eat
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. rest — what's left
  15. spell — letters
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spell — a short time
  18. straw — a straw man

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