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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. prune — to trim
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. chip — to eat
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. prune — to trim
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bore — to drill
  17. present — the time now
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bore — to tire
  20. wind — moving air
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. ruler — for measuring

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