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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 116 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bore — to drill
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bore — to tire
  7. chip — to eat
  8. fine — high quality
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. current — of water
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stand — to bear
  18. current — happening now
  19. bulb — for light
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. current — electric

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