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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: hide · straw · bowl · fall · key · chip · bore · leaves

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bore — to drill
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fall — the season
  12. bore — to tire
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. fall — to drop
  19. key — the most important part
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. key — in music
  24. leaves — lets stay

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