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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. chip — for betting
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. drill — a practice
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. key — the most important part
  8. spell — magic
  9. rule — government
  10. rash — a series
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rash — hasty
  14. drill — the tool
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. key — in music
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. chip — to eat
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. spell — letters
  22. drill — army training
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. rule — a law

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