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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. chip — for betting
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. plane — a tool
  6. stand — to bear
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. chip — to eat
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bank — of a river
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bank — for money
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. arm — part of the body

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