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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. chip — to eat
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ground — crushed
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. chip — for betting
  11. ground — the earth
  12. key — for a lock
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. ground — a position
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. key — in music
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pass — a permit
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. straw — dry grass

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