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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bore — to drill
  3. chip — for betting
  4. spring — the season
  5. mug — a cup
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. lean — thin
  8. band — a music group
  9. mug — a face
  10. charge — electricity
  11. spring — of water
  12. band — a ring
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. charge — in control
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rest — what's left
  20. charge — a price
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bore — to tire
  24. lean — to bend

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