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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. stand — to bear
  6. fine — high quality
  7. wind — moving air
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. tube — the underground
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. wind — moving air
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. hand — help
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. hand — in cards
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. content — the amount
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. content — happy
  23. fine — all right
  24. chip — for betting

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