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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rest — what's left
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. shower — to wash
  7. chip — for betting
  8. saw — the tool
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. stock — shares
  11. saw — the tool
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rest — a break
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fall — the season
  17. stock — goods
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fall — to drop
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. shower — rain
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stock — a soup base

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