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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 120 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bore — to tire
  5. chip — to eat
  6. craft — boats
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. craft — a skill
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. degree — temperature
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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