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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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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: mug · stand · spring · calf · chip · bound · straw · mouse

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bound — tied together
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bound — certain
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mug — to rob
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. bound — obliged
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stand — to bear
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. spring — a coil
  24. stand — on your feet

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