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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 120 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. march — the month
  4. charge — electricity
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. charge — a price
  8. shower — rain
  9. bore — to drill
  10. march — the month
  11. club — for golf
  12. charge — in control
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. club — for dancing
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. dip — to sink
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. march — music
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. pound — a weight
  22. club — a group
  23. bore — to tire
  24. shower — to wash

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