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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. kick — in football
  6. chip — for betting
  7. game — wild animals
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bear — the animal
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. shower — to wash
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. suit — to fit
  17. game — a match
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — a leader
  20. suit — clothes
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. game — a kind of play

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