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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · kid · craft · sharp · stand · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. shower — rain
  5. chip — to eat
  6. kid — to tease
  7. sharp — clever
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. shower — to wash
  11. stand — to bear
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — child
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. craft — a skill

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