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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. rest — what's left
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. current — happening now
  8. chip — to eat
  9. squash — to crush
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rest — what's left
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. current — electric
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. current — of water
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. kick — in football
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rest — a break
  24. squash — the sport

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