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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — for digging
  4. chip — for betting
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. shower — rain
  7. spell — letters
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bass — low music
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. shower — to wash
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. spell — magic
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. spell — a short time
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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