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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. ball — a dance
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. ball — a great time
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. shower — to wash
  19. present — a gift
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. chip — for betting
  24. ball — a round shape

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