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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bore — to drill
  3. sharp — clever
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. chip — to eat
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bore — to tire
  14. game — a match
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. chip — for betting
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. game — wild animals
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. chip — in a computer

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