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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 120 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: land · mug · rule · mine · perch · rest · bore · chip

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bore — to tire
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mug — a face
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. mug — a cup
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. land — a country
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. rest — a break
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. rest — what's left
  16. perch — the fish
  17. mine — for digging
  18. land — ground
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. land — to come down

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