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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. rash — a series
  4. bore — to tire
  5. hand — in cards
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. object — to protest
  8. chip — for betting
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. craft — a skill
  13. chest — of your body
  14. object — an aim
  15. chest — a box
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. hand — help
  18. craft — boats
  19. object — a thing
  20. bore — to drill
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chip — to eat
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. rash — hasty

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