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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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. wound — an injury
  4. game — a match
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. game — wild animals
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. lean — thin
  21. chip — for betting
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bore — to drill
  24. sharp — exactly

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