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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. mark — a trace
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wax — to grow
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. content — the amount
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. content — happy
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wake — a trail
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pit — in a race
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a grade

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