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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. last — final
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. spell — letters
  6. scale — in music
  7. spell — magic
  8. last — to go on
  9. rest — a break
  10. drill — the tool
  11. last — finally
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bore — to drill
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. drill — a practice
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bore — to tire
  21. drill — army training
  22. chip — to eat
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rest — what's left

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