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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: deal · chip · bore · last · can · spell · bowl · shower

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. last — to go on
  5. chip — to eat
  6. spell — letters
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. last — final
  11. chip — for betting
  12. last — finally
  13. bore — to tire
  14. spell — a short time
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. can — a tin
  19. shower — rain
  20. spell — magic
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. deal — to handle
  24. shower — to wash

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