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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. scale — size or range
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. chip — to eat
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. scale — in music
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. hand — help
  12. bore — to tire
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. spell — letters
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. spell — a short time
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bore — to drill
  22. spell — magic
  23. snap — to click
  24. foot — a measure

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