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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. fall — to drop
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. chip — for betting
  8. roll — a list
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. chip — to eat
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. present — there
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. roll — a cake
  21. fall — to drop
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — a gift
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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