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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. fall — to drop
  4. tear — from crying
  5. drill — a practice
  6. fall — the season
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. tear — from crying
  23. current — of water
  24. mouse — the animal

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