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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bound — obliged
  7. shower — rain
  8. last — finally
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. chip — to eat
  13. last — to go on
  14. chip — for betting
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bound — tied together
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bound — certain
  21. shower — to wash
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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