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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · toast · pound · chip · straw · object

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. object — to protest
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. object — a thing
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. chip — for betting
  13. object — an aim
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pound — a weight

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