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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 124 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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. fine — high quality
  15. chip — for betting
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rash — a series
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. fine — all right
  22. rash — hasty
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. stand — to bear

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