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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. spell — magic
  3. fork — in a road
  4. spell — letters
  5. chip — to eat
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. spell — a short time
  16. shower — rain
  17. wind — moving air
  18. shower — to wash
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wind — moving air
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — a coil

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