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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: racket · chip · season · spell · arm · bear · mate · shower

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. mate — a partner
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. chip — for betting
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bear — the animal
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. mate — to breed
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bear — the animal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. spell — a short time
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spell — letters
  18. shower — rain
  19. season — in sport
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. season — of the year
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. spell — magic
  24. racket — a loud noise

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