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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 116 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. present — a gift
  3. lean — thin
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. present — the time now
  13. lean — to bend
  14. board — to get on
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — a video
  17. bore — to drill
  18. present — there
  19. clip — to cut
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wind — moving air
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bore — to tire
  24. chip — to eat

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