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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. chip — for betting
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. can — a tin
  6. foot — a measure
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chip — to eat
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. bear — the animal
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. current — of water
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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