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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — to drill
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. wound — an injury
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wound — an injury
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. hand — help
  17. chip — to eat
  18. band — a music group
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. band — a ring
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. fan — a supporter

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