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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. fine — high quality
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. wake — a trail
  11. tube — a container
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. fine — all right
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. tube — the underground
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. tube — in a tire

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