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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. rock — a stone
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. face — part of the head
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. tear — from crying
  10. shower — to wash
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bound — certain
  14. face — to point toward
  15. tear — to rip
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bound — tied together
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. rock — music
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. face — to confront
  22. chip — to eat
  23. shower — rain
  24. bound — obliged

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