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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: can · chip · shower · rock · fall · fan · bound · present

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. present — there
  4. rock — music
  5. chip — to eat
  6. present — a gift
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rock — a stone
  9. shower — to wash
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. fall — the season
  12. present — the time now
  13. bound — obliged
  14. can — a tin
  15. shower — rain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. can — to be able to
  20. fall — to drop
  21. can — a tin
  22. bound — certain
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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