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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. tube — the underground
  4. chip — for betting
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. fall — to drop
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chip — to eat
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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