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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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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: shower · bulb · staff · rush · bat · coach · chip · mark

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. staff — employees
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bulb — for light
  9. staff — a stick
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. shower — rain
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. staff — employees
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. chip — to eat
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bulb — of a plant

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