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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. net — in sport
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. ball — a dance
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — rain
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. net — after costs
  14. shower — to wash
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. charge — in control
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. net — for catching
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. deal — to handle

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