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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. chip — for betting
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. roll — a cake
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rest — what's left
  8. craft — boats
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mug — to rob
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mug — a cup
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. mug — a face
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. chip — to eat
  20. rest — a break
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. rest — what's left
  23. tube — the underground
  24. straw — dry grass

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