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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: lie · kid · staff · wind · shower · net · arm · chip

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wind — moving air
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. wind — moving air
  8. net — for catching
  9. kid — to tease
  10. net — in sport
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. chip — to eat
  14. staff — employees
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. staff — a stick
  17. kid — child
  18. chip — for betting
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. net — after costs
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. staff — employees
  24. arm — part of the body

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