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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: chip · spell · arm · band · hide · rule · bore · mouse

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bore — to tire
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bore — to drill
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. rule — a law
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. chip — to eat
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. spell — a short time
  24. hide — to keep secret

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