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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. wind — moving air
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. charge — in control
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. rash — a series
  15. charge — a price
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. charge — electricity
  24. ruler — a monarch

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