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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. stock — goods
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stock — shares
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. charge — electricity
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. charge — in control
  19. shower — to wash
  20. charge — a price
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — happy
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. deal — to handle

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