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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. cap — a lid
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — to eat
  6. cue — a hint
  7. saw — the tool
  8. can — a tin
  9. file — a line of people
  10. can — a tin
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cue — a signal
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. file — a tool
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. file — a document
  24. cue — for pool

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