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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · chip · bat · bore · row · rule · perch · wax

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. rule — government
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — to tire
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bat — the animal
  10. perch — the fish
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. rule — a law
  19. wax — to grow
  20. row — a line
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. chip — for betting
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. row — to paddle

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