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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 116 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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. chip — for betting
  3. net — in sport
  4. chip — to eat
  5. net — after costs
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spring — a coil
  8. saw — the tool
  9. capital — money
  10. spring — the season
  11. capital — a city
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — a safe
  19. lie — to recline
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. spring — of water
  24. saw — the tool

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