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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bank — of a river
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. court — of law
  8. court — for sport
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rest — a break
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rest — what's left
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. shower — rain
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chip — to eat
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. court — of a king

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