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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 · hand · straw · can · deal · foot · chair · arm

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. can — to be able to
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chip — for betting
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. chip — to eat
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. can — a tin
  17. chair — a leader
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. deal — to handle
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. foot — a measure

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