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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 116 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: sharp · land · chip · trunk · cabinet · shower · face · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. face — to point toward
  3. land — ground
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. deal — to handle
  7. face — to confront
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. land — to come down
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. shower — rain
  15. face — part of the head
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. shower — to wash
  24. land — a country

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