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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. spell — a short time
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. spell — letters
  7. hand — in cards
  8. wind — moving air
  9. spell — magic
  10. shower — rain
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — to wash
  16. cue — a signal
  17. mark — a trace
  18. chip — for betting
  19. cue — for pool
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. hand — help
  23. chip — to eat
  24. nail — for a hammer

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