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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. game — wild animals
  4. cell — in biology
  5. charge — electricity
  6. game — a match
  7. shower — to wash
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. chip — to eat
  10. charge — a price
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. charge — in control
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cell — a phone
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. rash — a series
  22. chip — for betting
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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