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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. staff — employees
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. last — to go on
  5. staff — a stick
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. staff — employees
  11. last — final
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. cap — of ice
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. ball — a dance
  16. cap — a hat
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ball — a great time
  22. last — finally
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — dry grass

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