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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mine — for digging
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mug — a face
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mug — to rob
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. current — happening now
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chip — for betting

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