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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chair — a leader
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. wind — moving air
  9. club — for dancing
  10. rest — a break
  11. chip — to eat
  12. club — for golf
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stem — to come from
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rest — what's left
  19. club — a group
  20. shower — rain
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. chip — for betting

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