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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chip — for betting
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. hand — help
  15. shower — to wash
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. chip — to eat
  19. hand — in cards
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rock — music
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. rock — a stone
  24. branch — a division

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