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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wake — a trail
  3. chip — to eat
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rest — a break
  6. content — the amount
  7. face — to point toward
  8. shower — to wash
  9. hand — in cards
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. shower — rain
  12. mug — to rob
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mug — a cup
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rest — what's left
  20. hand — help
  21. content — happy
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mug — a face

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