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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. content — the amount
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. chip — for betting
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. shower — rain
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. scale — size or range
  12. chip — to eat
  13. saw — the tool
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. scale — in music
  22. content — happy
  23. perch — the fish
  24. content — videos and posts

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