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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bore — to drill
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. clip — a video
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. clip — to cut
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. clip — for paper
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pit — in a race
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bank — for money
  22. snap — to click
  23. bank — for money
  24. chip — in a computer

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