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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  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. suit — clothes
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. tube — a container
  4. lean — thin
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. current — happening now
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. suit — in cards
  9. tube — the underground
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. chip — for betting
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. current — electric
  16. suit — to fit
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. current — of water
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. chip — to eat
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lean — to bend
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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