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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: ruler · dip · straw · pass · wind · chip

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. chip — for betting
  7. wind — moving air
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. chip — to eat
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. wind — moving air
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. straw — dry grass

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