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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 120 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: chip · mate · bulb · rock · wound · drill · wind · straw

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rock — a stone
  5. chip — to eat
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rock — music
  14. drill — a practice
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. drill — army training
  17. mate — to breed
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. mate — a partner
  23. chip — for betting
  24. rock — to move gently

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