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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. present — the time now
  4. tear — from crying
  5. present — a gift
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bore — to drill
  9. chip — for betting
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bore — to tire
  13. present — there
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. tear — to rip
  23. cell — a phone
  24. chip — to eat

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