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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bear — the animal
  3. chip — to eat
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bore — to drill
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bore — to tire
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bear — the animal
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mine — for digging
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. chip — for betting

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