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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. land — a country
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. chip — to eat
  7. last — to go on
  8. staff — employees
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. craft — a skill
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. land — ground
  13. last — finally
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. last — final
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. chip — for betting
  22. craft — boats
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — in a race

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