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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a hole
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. clip — to cut
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. last — finally
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. last — final
  22. last — to go on
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — a video

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