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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. degree — an amount
  3. present — there
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bore — to tire
  7. degree — from a university
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. cap — a lid
  10. degree — temperature
  11. present — a gift
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. present — the time now
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. chip — for betting
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bore — to drill
  18. cap — a hat

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