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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. tube — a container
  7. capital — money
  8. mark — a trace
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. mark — a grade
  12. chip — for betting
  13. lean — to bend
  14. capital — a city
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. chip — to eat
  19. rush — hurry
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. lean — thin
  24. rush — a thrill

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