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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: patient · ruler · chip · dip · bay · straw · mine · sharp

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. dip — to sink
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mine — for digging
  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