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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rock — music
  5. chip — to eat
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. chip — for betting
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. sharp — clever
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — a stone

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