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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. chip — to eat
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — for paper
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a word
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. chip — for betting
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rock — a stone
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. rock — music
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bore — to tire
  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