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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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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. craft — a skill
  4. can — a tin
  5. shower — to wash
  6. can — a tin
  7. last — final
  8. cue — for pool
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. shower — rain
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. cue — a hint
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. can — to be able to
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. last — to go on
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. cue — a signal
  23. craft — boats
  24. last — finally

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