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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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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: wound · chip · bear · stick · straw · hide · saw · fork

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. chip — for betting
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chip — to eat
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wound — an injury
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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