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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. chair — a leader
  3. shower — rain
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fork — in a road
  16. hand — help
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — a price
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — in cards
  24. chair — a professorship

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