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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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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: chip · foot · rock · can · race · straw · ground · lean

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. ground — the earth
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. race — the arms race
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. chip — for betting
  8. can — to be able to
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. rock — a stone
  11. lean — thin
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. ground — a position
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. race — humankind
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. foot — a measure
  18. rock — music
  19. lean — to bend
  20. ground — crushed
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. can — a tin
  23. race — a contest
  24. can — a tin

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