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

Word bank: hand · perch · stick · kick · rash · bore · chip · toast

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bore — to drill
  3. hand — help
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. kick — in football
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. toast — bread
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. rash — hasty
  15. chip — to eat
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. perch — the fish
  18. rash — a series
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. hand — in cards
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bore — to tire
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. chip — in a computer

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