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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 124 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. spring — the season
  8. rock — a stone
  9. dip — to sink
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chip — to eat
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rock — music
  14. spring — of water
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — humankind
  20. ball — a great time
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. ball — a dance
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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