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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bank — for money
  12. race — humankind
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. race — a contest
  15. saw — the tool
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. chip — for betting
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bank — of a river
  24. saw — the tool

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