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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rule — government
  7. shower — to wash
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. suit — in cards
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. suit — clothes
  12. mug — a cup
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mug — to rob
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mug — a face
  17. rule — a law
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. chip — to eat
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fall — the season
  23. can — a tin
  24. rule — to rule out

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