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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rush — hurry
  4. shower — to wash
  5. firm — decided
  6. charge — electricity
  7. firm — a company
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. charge — a price
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. fall — to drop
  14. shower — rain
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ground — a position
  17. present — there
  18. fall — the season
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. fall — to drop
  22. charge — in control
  23. firm — steady
  24. rush — a thrill

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