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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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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: coach · chip · board · tear · plane · straw · file · firm

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. chip — for betting
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. tear — from crying
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. board — to get on
  7. plane — a tool
  8. firm — decided
  9. tear — from crying
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. file — a document
  12. tear — to rip
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. file — a line of people
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. firm — a company
  17. file — a tool
  18. firm — steady
  19. board — a committee
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. coach — a trainer

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