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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mate — a friend
  7. chip — for betting
  8. stand — to bear
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mate — a partner
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mate — to breed
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. chip — to eat
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — to confront
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. deal — to handle

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