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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mug — a cup
  5. chip — to eat
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. shower — rain
  8. mug — a face
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. toast — bread
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mug — to rob
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. chip — for betting
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mine — for digging
  24. shower — to wash

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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