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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: rush · straw · chip · tube · present · bay · toast · staff

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. staff — employees
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. tube — a container
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. chip — for betting
  8. present — a gift
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. toast — bread
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. chip — to eat
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. staff — employees

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