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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. rule — a law
  3. lean — to bend
  4. dip — to sink
  5. chip — to eat
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. squash — the sport
  12. chip — for betting
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rule — government
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. stand — for spectators

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