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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. charge — a price
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rash — a series
  8. stock — shares
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. charge — electricity
  11. branch — a division
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. charge — in control
  14. shower — to wash
  15. stock — goods
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. rash — hasty

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