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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wind — moving air
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. ground — a position
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. shower — to wash
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. ground — crushed
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ground — the earth
  20. chip — to eat
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. wind — moving air

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