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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. perch — the fish
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. current — of water
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. current — happening now
  10. season — in sport
  11. chip — to eat
  12. current — electric
  13. dip — to sink
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. season — of the year
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. wind — moving air
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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