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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bore — to drill
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — to handle
  6. hand — help
  7. last — to go on
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bore — to tire
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. hand — in cards
  16. chip — for betting
  17. cap — a hat
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cap — of ice
  21. chip — to eat
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cap — a lid
  24. last — finally

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