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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mark — a trace
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. wound — an injury
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. mark — a grade
  17. march — the month
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. chair — a leader
  20. march — the month
  21. wound — an injury
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. march — music
  24. coach — a trainer

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