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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. hand — in cards
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. chip — to eat
  9. hand — help
  10. bulb — for light
  11. plane — a tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. saw — the tool
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bulb — for light
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. lash — an eyelash

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