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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bore — to tire
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. tube — a container
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rush — hurry
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mine — for digging
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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