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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. net — in sport
  4. chip — to eat
  5. net — for catching
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. row — a line
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. net — after costs
  17. face — part of the head
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. chip — for betting
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bore — to drill
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. row — to paddle

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