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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · row · scale · straw · chip · wound · mug · rash

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — of a word
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. mug — a cup
  9. wound — an injury
  10. root — the cause
  11. wound — an injury
  12. row — a line
  13. scale — in music
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mug — to rob
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. scale — size or range
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — hasty
  23. chip — for betting
  24. mug — a face

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