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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. cold — an illness
  2. chip — to eat
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. cold — not warm
  7. net — for catching
  8. bore — to tire
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. deal — to handle
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chip — for betting
  14. net — after costs
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wax — to grow
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. net — in sport
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rush — to hurry
  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