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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 116 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bore — to drill
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cap — a lid
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rash — a series
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bore — to tire
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mug — to rob
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mate — a friend
  21. chip — to eat
  22. mate — to breed
  23. track — a path
  24. cap — of ice

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