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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  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. cold — an illness
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. cold — not warm
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pass — a permit
  11. chip — to eat
  12. row — to paddle
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. row — a line
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. toast — bread
  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