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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. stand — to bear
  3. charge — a price
  4. face — part of the head
  5. wind — moving air
  6. content — the amount
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. charge — in control
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wind — moving air
  12. content — happy
  13. bank — for money
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. charge — electricity
  16. shower — to wash
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bank — for money
  21. face — to confront
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. face — to point toward

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