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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. suit — to fit
  3. kid — child
  4. chip — to eat
  5. shower — to wash
  6. suit — clothes
  7. foot — a measure
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. spell — a short time
  10. key — for a lock
  11. band — a ring
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. key — in music
  15. kid — to tease
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. key — the most important part
  18. band — a music group
  19. spell — magic
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. chip — for betting
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. spell — letters
  24. suit — in cards

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