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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.

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: bear · chip · game · pass · leaves · straw · land · object

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. game — a match
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. object — an aim
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bear — the animal
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. land — a country
  10. object — to protest
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pass — a permit
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. land — ground
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. land — to come down
  23. bear — the animal
  24. object — a thing

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