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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. file — a document
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bank — of a river
  9. shower — rain
  10. bank — for money
  11. file — a line of people
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bank — for money
  14. cue — a signal
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. file — a tool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. chip — to eat
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cue — for pool

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