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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. shower — to wash
  11. pound — a weight
  12. charge — in control
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. mug — a face
  20. band — a music group
  21. charge — a price
  22. band — a ring
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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