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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. shower — rain
  7. fine — high quality
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bass — the fish
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — bread
  18. net — in sport
  19. lean — thin
  20. bass — low music
  21. lean — to bend
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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