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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. clip — for paper
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. rest — a break
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rest — what's left
  11. chip — to eat
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bore — to tire
  14. clip — a video
  15. rest — what's left
  16. chip — for betting
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. clip — to cut
  23. hand — help
  24. patient — a sick person

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