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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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bore — to drill
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. game — wild animals
  7. fall — the season
  8. season — of the year
  9. current — of water
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. game — a match
  16. current — electric
  17. fall — to drop
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. snap — to click
  21. current — happening now
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. chip — to eat

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