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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. present — the time now
  4. snap — to click
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bank — of a river
  9. tube — a container
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bank — for money
  14. staff — employees
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bank — for money
  17. staff — employees
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. staff — a stick
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. tube — the underground
  24. chip — for betting

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