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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. last — final
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. last — finally
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. deal — to handle
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. swing — music
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. swing — to play on
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. ball — a great time
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. dip — to sink
  21. swing — in golf
  22. ball — a dance
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. last — to go on

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