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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. swing — music
  3. chest — a box
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. ball — a dance
  6. chest — of your body
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. swing — in golf
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. swing — to play on
  13. shower — to wash
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. shower — rain
  16. pound — a weight
  17. toast — bread
  18. chest — of your body
  19. kid — to tease
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. charge — electricity
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. ball — a great time

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