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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. firm — steady
  3. mug — a cup
  4. firm — a company
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mug — to rob
  7. spell — a short time
  8. club — for dancing
  9. spell — letters
  10. chip — to eat
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. dip — to sink
  13. chip — for betting
  14. club — for golf
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. firm — decided
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. spell — magic
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. mug — a face
  22. club — a group
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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