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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pound — a weight
  9. chip — to eat
  10. tube — a container
  11. craft — a skill
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. tube — the underground
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. chip — for betting
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. craft — boats
  24. coach — a trainer

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