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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 · mouse · straw · file · dip · stand · patient · rush

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chip — for betting
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a document
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. stand — to bear
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. file — a line of people
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. straw — a straw man

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