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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. object — a thing
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bass — low music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. object — an aim
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. fine — all right
  20. bass — the fish
  21. date — the fruit
  22. object — to protest
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. straw — a straw man

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