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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. shower — rain
  3. present — the time now
  4. bass — the fish
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. shower — to wash
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bass — low music
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. present — there
  19. stock — shares
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stock — goods
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — a price

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