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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — for betting
  3. present — there
  4. bore — to drill
  5. face — to point toward
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bore — to tire
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. present — a gift
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. face — to confront
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. present — the time now

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