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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. dip — to sink
  3. chest — a box
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — in football
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. saw — the tool
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bulb — for light
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. chest — of your body
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chip — for betting
  24. dip — to dunk

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