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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. tube — a container
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. face — to confront
  5. file — a document
  6. deal — to handle
  7. pound — a weight
  8. charge — in control
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. charge — a price
  11. shower — to wash
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a tool
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. shower — rain
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — part of the head
  23. charge — electricity
  24. tube — in a tire

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