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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 120 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: firm · wake · chip · ground · can · deal · rest · straw

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. ground — a position
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rest — what's left
  10. can — to be able to
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. rest — a break
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. wake — a trail
  15. firm — decided
  16. can — a tin
  17. firm — a company
  18. ground — the earth
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. can — a tin
  22. chip — for betting
  23. ground — crushed
  24. chip — to eat

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