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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wound — an injury
  6. kid — child
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. face — to confront
  13. key — in music
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. chip — to eat
  18. net — for catching
  19. key — the most important part
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. net — after costs
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. net — in sport
  24. key — for a lock

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