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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. dip — to sink
  3. kid — to tease
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. chip — to eat
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. chip — for betting
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. land — ground
  12. land — a country
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. land — to come down
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. hand — help
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. kid — child
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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