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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. swing — in golf
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — to tease
  6. swing — to play on
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. rule — a law
  9. swing — music
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — to drill
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. chip — for betting
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — government
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. temple — a place of worship

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