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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — clothes
  3. shower — rain
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. present — the time now
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. shower — to wash
  20. firm — steady
  21. tear — from crying
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. tear — to rip

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