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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. chip — to eat
  3. tube — a container
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lean — thin
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. hand — in cards
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rest — a break
  15. chip — for betting
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. hand — help
  19. mark — a trace
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. tube — in a tire

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