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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 116 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. land — ground
  3. court — for sport
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. charge — a price
  6. shower — to wash
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. charge — in control
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. land — a country
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. sharp — clever
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. dip — to sink
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. land — to come down
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. charge — electricity

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