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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lean — to bend
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rash — a series
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lean — thin
  21. chip — to eat
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mate — a friend

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