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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bulb — for light
  4. present — there
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. charge — in control
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. charge — a price
  9. bulb — for light
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. present — the time now
  12. charge — electricity
  13. present — a gift
  14. game — a match
  15. pop — music
  16. rash — a series
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pop — soda
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. pop — to visit
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rash — hasty
  24. shower — to wash

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