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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 120 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: present · chest · shower · land · can · firm · chip · ruler

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. shower — to wash
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. land — ground
  7. present — there
  8. firm — decided
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. present — a gift
  12. chest — of your body
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. present — the time now
  16. firm — steady
  17. chip — to eat
  18. land — a country
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chip — for betting
  21. land — to come down
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. can — to be able to
  24. shower — rain

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