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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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468
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: bore · rash · arm · face · chip · mouse · content · prune

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chip — to eat
  4. face — to confront
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. face — to point toward
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — happy
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. prune — to trim
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. content — the amount
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bore — to tire

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