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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. squash — to crush
  3. last — to go on
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. can — a tin
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. staff — a stick
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. pass — a permit
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. staff — employees
  15. file — a tool
  16. last — final
  17. can — a tin
  18. shower — rain
  19. last — finally
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. staff — employees
  24. squash — the sport

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