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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bore — to tire
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. track — a path
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bore — to drill
  13. track — to keep track
  14. face — part of the head
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. face — to point toward
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a city
  20. chip — for betting
  21. shower — to wash
  22. face — to confront
  23. track — a song
  24. mark — a grade

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