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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.

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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. chip — for betting
  7. saw — the tool
  8. content — the amount
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. content — happy
  13. tear — from crying
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. mark — a trace
  17. tear — to rip
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bore — to tire
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. tear — from crying
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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