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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. shower — to wash
  9. swing — to play on
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. swing — music
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bark — to shout
  14. chip — to eat
  15. race — humankind
  16. shower — rain
  17. snap — to click
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. deal — to handle
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — a contest
  24. cabinet — ministers

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