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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. shower — rain
  4. bank — for money
  5. hand — help
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — in football
  9. hand — in cards
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bank — for money
  13. wind — moving air
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. chip — to eat
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bank — of a river
  23. shower — to wash
  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