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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. lean — thin
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rule — a law
  8. bore — to drill
  9. lean — to bend
  10. tube — a container
  11. land — to come down
  12. bore — to tire
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. land — a country
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. land — ground
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rule — government

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