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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.

Words on the sheet
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: mate · mine · chip · hide · bore · current · fall · ball

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mate — a partner
  5. chip — for betting
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mate — to breed
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mate — a friend
  11. fall — the season
  12. bore — to tire
  13. current — electric
  14. fall — to drop
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. current — happening now
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bore — to drill
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. current — of water
  24. ball — a dance

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