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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. lean — to bend
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. shower — to wash
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. fine — all right
  7. lean — thin
  8. shower — rain
  9. saw — the tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chip — for betting
  14. ball — a dance
  15. content — happy
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. content — the amount
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fine — high quality
  24. ball — a great time

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