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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 120 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. lean — thin
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. chip — for betting
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. stem — to come from
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cue — a hint
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cue — for pool
  17. chip — to eat
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cue — a signal
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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