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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — rain
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bound — tied together
  7. charge — a price
  8. land — a country
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stem — to come from
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bound — obliged
  15. charge — in control
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — a cake
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. land — to come down
  20. charge — electricity
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. land — ground
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bound — certain

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