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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: bore · fan · saw · lean · mine · chair · chip · kid

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. lean — thin
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. lean — to bend
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bore — to tire
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. mine — for digging
  14. chair — a leader
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. chip — for betting
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — child
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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