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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. firm — steady
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bore — to tire
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. chip — to eat
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. lean — to bend
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. can — a tin
  14. bore — to drill
  15. land — to come down
  16. firm — decided
  17. lean — thin
  18. can — a tin
  19. chip — for betting
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. firm — a company
  23. can — to be able to
  24. chip — in a computer

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