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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. firm — a company
  6. bear — the animal
  7. file — a tool
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. chip — to eat
  11. firm — steady
  12. file — a document
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. file — a line of people
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. charge — in control
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. lean — to bend
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. firm — decided
  24. straw — dry grass

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