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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. face — to confront
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a ring
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. can — a tin
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bore — to tire
  14. net — in sport
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. band — a music group
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. net — after costs
  21. chip — for betting
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bore — to drill
  24. net — for catching

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