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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bore — to drill
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — a contest
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. deal — to handle
  8. hand — help
  9. toast — bread
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bore — to tire
  14. race — humankind
  15. lean — to bend
  16. degree — temperature
  17. chip — for betting
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — from a university
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. chip — to eat
  24. deal — a big deal

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