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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wake — a trail
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. ground — a position
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. ground — crushed
  18. game — wild animals
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. chip — for betting
  24. leaves — lets stay

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