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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 116 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stock — goods
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. row — a line
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. stock — shares
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chip — for betting
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. row — to paddle
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stock — a soup base

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