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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 116 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. last — to go on
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. last — finally
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. chip — to eat
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. last — final
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to drill
  24. chip — for betting

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