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

Word bank: lash · fall · toast · date · chip · current · pound · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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. shower — rain
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. fall — to drop
  6. chip — to eat
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. current — electric
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — bread
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. fall — the season
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. chip — for betting
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. current — of water
  18. pound — a weight
  19. date — the fruit
  20. current — happening now
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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