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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: chest · mug · chip · suit · net · hand · rock · shower

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  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. suit — in cards
  2. net — for catching
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. rock — a stone
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. hand — help
  8. chest — a box
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rock — music
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. net — after costs
  13. chest — of your body
  14. net — in sport
  15. chip — to eat
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mug — a face
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mug — a cup
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. shower — to wash
  23. mug — to rob
  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