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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. spring — a coil
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pass — a permit
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. spring — the season
  12. chip — for betting
  13. band — a ring
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. band — a music group
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. spring — of water
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hand — in cards

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