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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. wound — an injury
  4. shower — to wash
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bank — for money
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bank — for money
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. wound — an injury
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bank — of a river
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. charge — in control
  17. foot — a measure
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. chest — a box
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. chest — of your body
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — a straw man

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