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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. chip — to eat
  3. net — after costs
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. net — in sport
  7. fall — to drop
  8. spring — a coil
  9. chip — for betting
  10. spring — of water
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. net — for catching
  13. spring — the season
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bore — to drill
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — all right

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