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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bore — to drill
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rule — government
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pit — a hole
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. rule — a law
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. current — electric
  18. chip — to eat
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. pit — in a race
  23. cold — an illness
  24. arm — part of the body

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