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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. race — humankind
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bat — the animal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. race — a contest
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bore — to tire
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. race — the arms race
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bore — to drill
  22. vault — a safe
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. deal — a big deal

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