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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chair — a leader
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. swing — in golf
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. hand — in cards
  8. swing — to play on
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. swing — music
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. hand — help
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. chip — to eat
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bore — to tire

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