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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. present — there
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. charge — electricity
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. shower — rain
  9. present — a gift
  10. pound — a weight
  11. shower — to wash
  12. charge — a price
  13. rash — a series
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wound — an injury
  16. charge — in control
  17. club — a group
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to sink
  20. club — for dancing
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. club — for golf
  24. present — the time now

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