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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wake — a trail
  3. shower — rain
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — clothes
  6. chip — for betting
  7. squash — to crush
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. spring — of water
  11. shower — to wash
  12. suit — to fit
  13. spring — the season
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. spring — a coil
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. chip — to eat
  24. wake — before a funeral

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