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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: mate · net · straw · bore · present · date · nail · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bore — to tire
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. net — for catching
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bore — to drill
  13. present — there
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. date — the fruit
  16. present — the time now
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. net — after costs
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mate — to breed
  23. present — a gift
  24. net — in sport

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