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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. dip — to sink
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chip — to eat
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. chair — a leader
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a line
  24. cell — a phone

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