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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · last · shower · pitcher · mate · temple · hide · chair

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chair — a leader
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mate — a friend
  8. shower — to wash
  9. last — final
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. mate — to breed
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. shower — rain
  19. last — finally
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. mate — a partner
  23. last — to go on
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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