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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. drill — a practice
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. race — a contest
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. drill — the tool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. race — the arms race
  13. chip — to eat
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. drill — army training
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. race — humankind
  23. bore — to drill
  24. snap — to click

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