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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 120 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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 — in a computer
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chip — for betting
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wound — an injury
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bore — to drill
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bore — to tire
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. chip — to eat
  16. game — wild animals
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. charge — in control
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. game — a match
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. charge — a price
  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