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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. cue — a hint
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cue — a signal
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bear — the animal
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. cue — for pool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chip — in a computer

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