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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. can — to be able to
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. can — a tin
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. court — of a king
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. can — a tin
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. fall — the season
  23. court — of law
  24. court — for sport

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