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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: rule · bear · bore · chip · bat · safe · roll · wave

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bear — the animal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bore — to tire
  8. roll — a list
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rule — government
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bat — the animal
  16. chip — to eat
  17. rule — a law
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. roll — a cake
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bore — to drill

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