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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. spell — letters
  3. shower — to wash
  4. spell — magic
  5. charge — in control
  6. spell — a short time
  7. tube — the underground
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. stand — to bear
  11. rest — what's left
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. pound — a weight
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. tube — a container
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. season — of the year
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. season — in sport
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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