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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. spell — magic
  3. can — a tin
  4. chip — for betting
  5. rest — what's left
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. can — to be able to
  12. band — a ring
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. spell — letters
  16. wind — moving air
  17. spell — a short time
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chip — to eat
  20. rest — a break
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. can — a tin
  23. band — a music group
  24. rest — what's left

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