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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: present · board · straw · cue · wave · cap · rash · chip

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. wave — of the sea
  2. chip — for betting
  3. cap — a hat
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. board — to get on
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. board — a committee
  12. cap — a lid
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — hasty
  15. cue — a hint
  16. present — a gift
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. chip — to eat
  23. straw — dry grass
  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