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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. net — for catching
  3. rash — a series
  4. net — after costs
  5. rash — hasty
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. face — part of the head
  8. net — in sport
  9. chip — to eat
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. fine — high quality
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. face — to confront
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. chip — for betting
  21. fine — all right
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. shower — to wash
  24. cabinet — ministers

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