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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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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: rash · chip · object · mug · shower · face · scale · stem

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. face — to point toward
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rash — a series
  4. object — to protest
  5. mug — to rob
  6. shower — rain
  7. face — to confront
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. chip — to eat
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stem — to come from
  16. face — part of the head
  17. object — a thing
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. mug — a face
  20. object — an aim
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rash — hasty
  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