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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bore — to tire
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. current — electric
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. rest — what's left
  10. hand — in cards
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. current — of water
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rest — what's left
  16. current — happening now
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rest — a break
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bank — for money

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