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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 120 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. spell — magic
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. chip — to eat
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mug — a face
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mug — to rob
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. mug — a cup
  12. ground — a position
  13. spell — letters
  14. shower — to wash
  15. spell — a short time
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. ground — the earth
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. shower — rain
  20. ground — crushed
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. foot — a measure
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

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