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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 120 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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. row — to paddle
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. race — a contest
  5. row — a line
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mark — a trace
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. band — a music group
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. band — a ring
  22. race — humankind
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. chip — to eat

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