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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a skill
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fine — high quality
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. fine — all right
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bark — to shout
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. snap — to click
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. chip — to eat
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. ruler — a monarch

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