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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rule — a law
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. chip — to eat
  9. spell — a short time
  10. hand — in cards
  11. spell — letters
  12. kick — in football
  13. bore — to tire
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bore — to drill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rule — government
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. plane — a tool
  22. spell — magic
  23. wind — moving air
  24. chip — for betting

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