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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. race — humankind
  5. chip — for betting
  6. current — of water
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. race — a contest
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. race — the arms race
  18. current — happening now
  19. spell — magic
  20. current — electric
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. mouse — the animal

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