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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. dip — to sink
  4. field — farmland
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. chip — to eat
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. field — for sport
  13. bank — for money
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bank — for money
  16. kick — in football
  17. bank — of a river
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. field — a subject

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