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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.

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: dip · lean · content · key · jam · hand · straw · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. key — in music
  3. content — happy
  4. key — the most important part
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. chip — for betting
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. content — the amount
  14. key — for a lock
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. lean — thin
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. dip — to sink
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. lean — to bend

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