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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. shower — rain
  3. spring — of water
  4. chip — for betting
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. object — an aim
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. key — in music
  10. shower — to wash
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. spring — the season
  13. last — finally
  14. object — to protest
  15. foot — a measure
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. object — a thing
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. chip — to eat
  22. spring — a coil
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. last — to go on

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