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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. mug — to rob
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. firm — decided
  5. mug — a face
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. firm — steady
  10. chip — to eat
  11. firm — a company
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. game — a match
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bore — to tire
  20. can — a tin
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bore — to drill
  24. can — a tin

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