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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: bore · stand · straw · fine · club · shower · chip · rest

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rest — what's left
  5. club — for golf
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. shower — rain
  8. rest — what's left
  9. club — a group
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bore — to drill
  12. chip — for betting
  13. shower — to wash
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rest — a break
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. fine — all right
  22. club — for dancing
  23. chip — to eat
  24. stand — on your feet

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