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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: arm · bore · content · chip · fan · march · wave · mate

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. content — the amount
  3. chip — to eat
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mate — a partner
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mate — to breed
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. content — happy
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bore — to tire
  18. march — music
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. chip — for betting
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. content — videos and posts

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