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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. chip — to eat
  3. drill — the tool
  4. cell — a phone
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. toast — bread
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. chip — for betting
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. shower — to wash
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. drill — army training
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. present — a gift
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. present — the time now
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. drill — a practice
  23. shower — rain
  24. cell — in biology

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