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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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. charge — a price
  5. court — of a king
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. court — of law
  11. dip — to sink
  12. charge — in control
  13. bass — low music
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — to wash
  16. court — for sport
  17. charge — electricity
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bore — to tire
  24. plane — a tool

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