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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bulb — for light
  3. shower — to wash
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — government
  12. tube — a container
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chest — a box
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. chest — of your body
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chest — of your body
  22. toast — bread
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. shower — rain

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