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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bore — to tire
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. tear — from crying
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. tear — to rip
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. perch — the fish
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fan — to cool the air

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