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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. hand — in cards
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. root — of a plant
  5. shower — rain
  6. fine — high quality
  7. charge — in control
  8. bore — to drill
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rule — a law
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rule — government
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a word
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. shower — to wash
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fine — all right
  23. hand — help
  24. charge — a price

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