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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 · chip · net · arm · track · toast · saw · rest

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. track — a song
  7. net — after costs
  8. rest — a break
  9. chip — to eat
  10. saw — the tool
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. track — a path
  13. toast — bread
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. rest — what's left
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. net — in sport
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chip — for betting
  21. track — to keep track
  22. saw — the tool
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — a straw man

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