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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: bore · fall · saw · shower · fine · chip · club · mark

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. club — a group
  6. saw — the tool
  7. shower — to wash
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. fine — all right
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. fall — the season
  18. mark — a grade
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mark — a trace
  21. club — for golf
  22. shower — rain
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bore — to tire

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