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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. chip — for betting
  4. rest — what's left
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. tear — from crying
  10. saw — the tool
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. tear — to rip
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. content — the amount
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mark — a grade
  21. chip — to eat
  22. saw — the tool
  23. content — happy
  24. rest — what's left

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