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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. chip — to eat
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. rush — hurry
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. season — of the year
  11. snap — to click
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pitcher — a jug

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