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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. file — a line of people
  8. charge — electricity
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bass — the fish
  12. charge — in control
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bass — low music
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. file — a document
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. charge — a price
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. file — a tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wind — moving air

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