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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 116 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. shower — rain
  3. face — to point toward
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — for betting
  7. shower — to wash
  8. charge — electricity
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. charge — in control
  12. face — to confront
  13. rash — a series
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. sharp — clever
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. charge — a price
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. perch — the fish
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rash — hasty

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