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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: rock · drill · saw · straw · face · chip · bowl · rest

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. drill — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. drill — a practice
  6. rock — music
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. chip — for betting
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. chip — to eat
  12. saw — the tool
  13. face — to confront
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. drill — army training
  17. rock — a stone
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rest — what's left
  21. face — part of the head
  22. rest — a break
  23. face — to point toward
  24. chip — in a computer

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