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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. game — wild animals
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. game — a match
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. charge — a price
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. charge — in control
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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