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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. suit — to fit
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. chip — to eat
  13. clip — for paper
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. clip — a video
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. suit — in cards
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mug — a face
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. chip — for betting
  22. clip — to cut
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a cup

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