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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. tear — from crying
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. ball — a great time
  10. chip — for betting
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. tear — to rip
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. snap — to click
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. tear — from crying
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bowl — to roll

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