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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. cell — a phone
  6. mark — a grade
  7. fall — the season
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fall — to drop
  11. charge — a price
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — tied together
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cell — in biology
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bound — obliged
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — in control

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