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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · pound · lean · shower · rule · charge

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. present — there
  3. shower — to wash
  4. rule — government
  5. present — a gift
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. lean — thin
  11. shower — rain
  12. present — the time now
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. rule — a law
  17. charge — a price
  18. pound — a weight

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