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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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. charge — in control
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. shower — rain
  10. land — a country
  11. bass — low music
  12. charge — electricity
  13. sharp — clever
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. lean — thin
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pound — a weight
  20. charge — a price
  21. land — ground
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. lean — to bend
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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