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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. craft — a skill
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. chip — to eat
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. craft — boats
  15. wax — to grow
  16. club — for golf
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. chip — for betting
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. club — a group
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. club — for dancing

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