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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. shower — rain
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. charge — a price
  5. shower — to wash
  6. club — a group
  7. charge — electricity
  8. club — for dancing
  9. rash — a series
  10. chest — of your body
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. charge — in control
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chest — a box
  16. club — for golf
  17. season — of the year
  18. lie — to recline
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rash — hasty
  21. root — of a word
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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