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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bank — for money
  4. field — a subject
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bank — of a river
  8. field — for sport
  9. chip — to eat
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bank — for money
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. chip — for betting
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. field — farmland
  22. dip — to sink
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bore — to drill

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