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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rash — hasty
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. clip — for paper
  11. rash — a series
  12. clip — to cut
  13. shower — to wash
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pound — a weight
  17. clip — a video
  18. shower — rain
  19. charge — electricity
  20. rush — hurry
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. charge — in control
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rush — to hurry

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