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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. chip — for betting
  4. rush — hurry
  5. chip — to eat
  6. face — to confront
  7. bank — of a river
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mug — to rob
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — a cup
  16. face — part of the head
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bank — for money
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bank — for money
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. face — to point toward

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