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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bore — to drill
  4. band — a ring
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bore — to tire
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. current — of water
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. chair — a leader
  15. current — electric
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mate — to breed
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. current — happening now
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mate — a partner
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. band — a music group

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