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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. chip — for betting
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. current — happening now
  10. chip — to eat
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wake — a trail
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. swing — in golf
  24. stem — to come from

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