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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: firm · wind · chip · straw · wave · season · track · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wind — moving air
  5. firm — a company
  6. track — to keep track
  7. chip — to eat
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. firm — steady
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. track — a path
  15. cap — a hat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. track — a song
  18. firm — decided
  19. cap — of ice
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. wind — moving air
  24. season — to add flavour

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