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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. season — in sport
  5. wound — an injury
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. charge — in control
  8. bore — to drill
  9. shower — rain
  10. bore — to tire
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. season — of the year
  16. pound — a weight
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — to wash
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. charge — a price
  24. game — a kind of play

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