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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: chip · straw · lean · rule · kid · bay · mouse · stand

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — government
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. kid — child
  8. rule — a law
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. kid — to tease
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stand — to bear
  19. lean — thin
  20. chip — for betting
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mouse — for a computer

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