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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. shower — rain
  3. content — happy
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. fine — high quality
  6. chip — for betting
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rock — a stone
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rock — music
  16. chip — to eat
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. shower — to wash
  20. wake — a trail
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. fine — all right
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. content — the amount

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