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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. ground — crushed
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bore — to tire
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. ground — a position
  13. bore — to drill
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wind — moving air
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wind — moving air
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. ground — the earth
  24. arm — part of the body

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