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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bore — to drill
  5. chip — for betting
  6. face — to confront
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. saw — the tool
  9. content — the amount
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. content — happy
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bore — to tire
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. squash — to crush
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — part of the head
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fall — to drop

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