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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: bear · spell · land · chip · rush · straw

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. rush — hurry
  3. chip — for betting
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. spell — a short time
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. land — a country
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. spell — letters
  14. chip — to eat
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — ground
  17. spell — magic
  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