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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. chip — for betting
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. dip — to sink
  13. swing — in golf
  14. chip — to eat
  15. swing — music
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. perch — the fish
  18. sharp — clever
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rush — hurry
  21. swing — to play on
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. arm — part of the body

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