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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. roll — a cake
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. firm — steady
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. tube — a container
  9. chip — to eat
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. ball — a great time
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. roll — a list
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. firm — a company
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. firm — decided
  23. ball — a dance
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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