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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. suit — to fit
  4. kick — in football
  5. saw — the tool
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. suit — in cards
  9. chip — for betting
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. wind — moving air
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pound — a weight
  15. plane — a tool
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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