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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: straw · bear · vault · craft · file · rock · cue · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bear — the animal
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rock — a stone
  5. craft — a skill
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. file — a line of people
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. file — a tool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. chip — to eat
  17. file — a document
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. cue — for pool
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cue — a signal
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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