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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: perch · rule · chip · spring · shower · toast · roll · snap

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. spring — a coil
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. rule — a law
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. spring — of water
  7. perch — the fish
  8. snap — to click
  9. spring — the season
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. toast — bread
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. roll — a cake
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. shower — rain
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. shower — to wash
  18. chip — to eat
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. rule — government
  24. perch — for a bird

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