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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lean — thin
  5. bore — to tire
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rock — music
  14. bore — to drill
  15. fall — to drop
  16. chip — to eat
  17. capital — money
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. fall — the season
  22. lean — to bend
  23. capital — a city
  24. rock — a stone

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