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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hand — help
  7. current — happening now
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. current — of water
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. shower — to wash
  16. chip — for betting
  17. spell — magic
  18. chip — to eat
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. spell — letters
  21. current — electric
  22. hand — in cards
  23. spell — a short time
  24. ruler — for measuring

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