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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. present — there
  5. present — the time now
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. shower — rain
  11. can — a tin
  12. swing — music
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. swing — in golf
  15. present — a gift
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. chip — for betting
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — to eat

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