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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chip — to eat
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fall — the season
  7. pound — a weight
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rash — hasty
  11. chip — for betting
  12. craft — a skill
  13. mate — a friend
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rest — what's left
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. rest — a break
  23. rash — a series
  24. craft — boats

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