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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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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. march — the month
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. root — the cause
  5. chip — to eat
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. march — music
  9. drill — a practice
  10. chip — for betting
  11. drill — the tool
  12. march — the month
  13. root — of a word
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. drill — army training
  16. root — of a plant
  17. fall — the season
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. deal — to handle
  24. hide — animal skin

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