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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: leaves · kick · wave · fall · suit · chip · present · straw

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. present — there
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. fall — to drop
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. chip — for betting
  8. suit — to fit
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. present — a gift
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. fall — to drop
  13. kick — in football
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. suit — clothes
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. fall — the season
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. present — the time now
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. suit — in cards
  24. chip — in a computer

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