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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bass — low music
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. can — a tin
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pit — a hole
  13. can — a tin
  14. pit — in a race
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bass — the fish
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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