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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. rush — hurry
  6. chip — for betting
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. shower — to wash
  13. row — a line
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. chip — to eat
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. row — a quarrel

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