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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. object — a thing
  5. bore — to drill
  6. ground — a position
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — to cut
  10. chip — to eat
  11. object — to protest
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. clip — a video
  14. bass — low music
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bore — to tire
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bear — the animal
  21. chip — for betting
  22. object — an aim
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. ground — the earth

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