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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. lean — thin
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bound — obliged
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. clip — for paper
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bound — tied together
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bound — certain
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — a video
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. arm — part of the body

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