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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. scale — in music
  5. dip — to sink
  6. shower — rain
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bore — to drill
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. scale — size or range
  15. chip — to eat
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. chip — for betting
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bore — to tire
  24. shower — to wash

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