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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bass — the fish
  3. cell — in biology
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. cell — a phone
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. chip — for betting
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a tool
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. shower — to wash
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bass — low music
  20. chip — to eat
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. file — a document
  24. cell — in a prison

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