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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rock · fan · straw · hide · object · staff · cap

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. staff — employees
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. cap — a lid
  7. staff — a stick
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. object — a thing
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. cap — of ice
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. staff — employees
  17. cap — a hat
  18. object — an aim
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rock — music
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rock — a stone
  24. object — to protest

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