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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chip — to eat
  8. land — a country
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. swing — in golf
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. spell — a short time
  13. swing — music
  14. land — ground
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. chip — for betting
  19. swing — to play on
  20. tube — a container
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. land — to come down
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. tube — the underground

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