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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. shower — rain
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. land — to come down
  12. chip — to eat
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. row — a line
  15. fork — in a road
  16. row — to paddle
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. chip — for betting
  21. land — a country
  22. land — ground
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bay — a horse colour

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