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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bulb — for light
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. spring — of water
  5. chip — for betting
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. spring — a coil
  10. band — a music group
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. board — to get on
  15. spring — the season
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. chip — to eat
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. band — a ring
  21. hand — help
  22. board — a committee
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. hand — in cards

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