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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. chip — to eat
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fall — to drop
  9. can — a tin
  10. bore — to drill
  11. kick — in football
  12. rock — a stone
  13. can — a tin
  14. bulb — for light
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. fall — to drop
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rock — music
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. fall — the season
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. branch — a division
  24. can — to be able to

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