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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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468
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: lean · mug · file · straw · calf · deal · chip · march

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mug — to rob
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. march — the month
  6. chip — to eat
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. file — a tool
  12. mug — a cup
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lean — thin
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a line of people
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. lean — to bend
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. deal — to handle
  23. mug — a face
  24. lean — to rest against

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