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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. current — electric
  5. chip — for betting
  6. key — in music
  7. bat — the animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. key — for a lock
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. current — of water
  16. chip — to eat
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. key — the most important part
  24. current — happening now

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