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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 116 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: straw · rush · chip · cap · spell · firm · safe · wind

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. chip — for betting
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. chip — to eat
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cap — of ice
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. firm — steady
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. firm — decided
  17. wind — moving air
  18. firm — a company
  19. spell — magic
  20. cap — a lid
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wind — moving air

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