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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. snap — to click
  5. scale — size or range
  6. chip — to eat
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pass — a permit
  10. chip — for betting
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. file — a line of people
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. deal — to handle
  16. file — a document
  17. scale — in music
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. file — a tool
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. deal — a big deal

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