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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. chip — to eat
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. last — finally
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. press — to push
  10. cap — a hat
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. press — newspapers
  14. last — final
  15. bore — to tire
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. press — a publisher
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to drill
  23. last — to go on
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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