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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: foot · shower · firm · hand · wave · mate · chip · pound

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. foot — a measure
  3. shower — to wash
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. pound — a weight
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. firm — steady
  8. shower — rain
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. firm — a company
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mate — to breed
  20. hand — help
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mate — a partner
  23. hand — in cards
  24. chip — for betting

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