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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 124 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. toast — bread
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bore — to tire
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bore — to drill
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. chip — for betting
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. shower — rain

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