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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lean — thin
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. chip — to eat
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rash — hasty
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lean — to bend
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rash — a series
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. wave — with your hand

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