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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. wound — an injury
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. chip — to eat
  8. lean — thin
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. content — happy
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. dip — to sink
  15. lean — to bend
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. chip — for betting
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. content — the amount
  21. wound — an injury
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. wave — with your hand

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