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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. chip — to eat
  3. present — a gift
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. present — there
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. staff — employees
  17. bore — to drill
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. present — the time now
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. chip — for betting

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