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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. tear — from crying
  3. chip — for betting
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bore — to tire
  24. sharp — clever

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