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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. chip — to eat
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. shower — rain
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. court — of a king
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chip — for betting
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. prune — to trim
  20. staff — employees
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. staff — a stick
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. staff — employees

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