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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. spell — letters
  3. chest — a box
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. spell — magic
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. chip — for betting
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bound — tied together
  23. chest — of your body
  24. ruler — for measuring

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