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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 116 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: straw · wound · staff · wave · can · chip · squash · deal

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. deal — to handle
  3. squash — to crush
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wound — an injury
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. staff — employees
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. can — a tin
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. can — a tin
  19. chip — to eat
  20. squash — the sport
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. wound — an injury
  24. squash — the vegetable

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