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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. mug — a cup
  2. drill — the tool
  3. ground — crushed
  4. lie — to recline
  5. ground — a position
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. shower — rain
  8. mug — a face
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mug — to rob
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. drill — army training
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. drill — a practice
  21. ground — the earth
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  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