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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. cap — a lid
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bore — to tire
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. last — to go on
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bore — to drill
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. saw — the tool
  14. last — final
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. fine — all right
  21. cap — a hat
  22. fine — high quality
  23. cap — of ice
  24. last — finally

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