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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. staff — employees
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pop — soda
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bore — to drill
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. rock — music
  21. staff — employees
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chip — for betting
  24. staff — a stick

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