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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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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: chip · bore · hide · rock · season · straw · tear · plane

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. tear — to rip
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rock — music
  8. bore — to tire
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. plane — a tool
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. season — in sport
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. tear — from crying
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. season — of the year
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bore — to drill
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. tear — from crying

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