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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pound — a weight
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bore — to drill
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mine — belonging to me

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