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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. spring — of water
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bore — to tire
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bore — to drill
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cap — of ice
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. spring — the season
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cap — a hat
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. mug — to rob
  24. fan — a supporter

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