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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. rock — music
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rock — a stone
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. hand — in cards
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — to bear
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. chip — for betting
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bear — the animal
  19. hand — help
  20. bear — the animal
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. chip — to eat
  23. stand — for spectators
  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